


Oh Brother, what art thou?

by rudbeckia



Series: Clan Techie Crossover [3]
Category: Dredd (2012), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-01 06:27:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6504430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clan Techie is rescued in a covert operation by order of his brother, Brendol, General Hux of the First Order.</p><p>Will he fit in to First Order military life, given his past experiences?<br/>How does an insignificant Lieutenant help?</p><p>Much fluff, I promise, eventually.<br/>The M rating is for the torture/abuse/noncon references.</p><p>Originally from an anon ask -<br/><i>I loved the clan techie and Hux crossover! is there any possibility we'll see what occurred between Hux and Ma-Ma when his brother was saved?</i><br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jathis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [О, где же ты, брат?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12536144) by [marteens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marteens/pseuds/marteens)



Hux stared at the blip on the display, leaning forward, resting one hand on the console. Mitaka, acutely aware of his superior officer's presence beside him, stammered slightly.  
"You s-said call you im-mediately if we detected this signature."

"Yes." The general's frown deepened. "What can you determine?"  
The younger officer's confidence improved with the implicit approval in Hux's voice.  
"The signal originates from within a building, one of many giant structures on this area of the surface. Radiation levels are abnormally high, sir."  
Mitaka did not have to voice his concern that they should leave without engaging this planet, so damaged that there could be nothing of value here for the First Order. General Hux would already be aware that there was no profit to be had in a planet with few remaining natural resources and a depleted, sickly population. Mitaka dared a suggestion.  
"Prison planet, sir? With those radiation levels–"  
"The First Order does not take prisoners, Lieutenant. Get me details on exactly where that signal originates."  
Hux turned to Phasma, who stood to attention nearby.  
"You called for a specialist team, sir?"  
"Yes," Hux gave Phasma a single nod. "Have an extraction team on standby. Urban combat unit."  
Phasma saluted and left the command centre.

Hux tried not to watch Mitaka work. He turned away, aware that his officers worked efficiently without direct supervision and would falter, rattled if questioned too much during a task. After a few long minutes, Mitaka spoke.  
"Sir? I increased the resolution of the scan. Look."  
A grey, three dimentional image sprang up from Mitaka's workstation, wavered and stabilised. One red point blinked about a sixth of the way up the building, near the outer edge. Hux smiled.  
_Typical,_ thought Hux, _he's staring out of the window._

\-----------

Techie glanced over his shoulder and sighed. He took a last look out over the ruined landscape, all greys and ochres with high rise towers like the one he inhabited punching up to the sky, two hundred stories high, each one a community independent of the others. The man behind him cleared his voice.  
"Ma-Ma wants her Techie."  
"What Ma-Ma wants," Techie turned and crooned in a singsong voice, "Ma-Ma gets."  
"Ha, come on."  
The man, not even one of Ma-Ma's favourites, took Techie's arm in a tight grip and half-pulled him out of the apartment and along a dim corridor lit by what remnants of sunlight penetrated down from the atrium's open roof, one hundred and sixty five floors above. Techie could see perfectly well. His eyes, taken by Ma-Ma and replaced eventually once he agreed to work for her clan, gave him enhanced visual ability. Techie rubbed at his eyelids with the heel of his free hand. The perpetual itch sometimes drove him to the point of drawing blood. Pain was easier to bear.

Techie tried not to think of the time before Ma-Ma, when life was hard but tolerable enough that he rarely imagined throwing himself to the atrium floor from the highest level he could reach without being caught.

Ma-Ma's elevator opened and Techie was pushed inside. Another lackey, one favoured enough to be allowed access to Ma-Ma's apartments, grabbed him and stabbed at a button. The short ride left Techie feeling queasy from both motion and fear. The elevator clanked to a halt and the doors opened. 

Techie screamed.

\---------------------

The extraction team worked fast, storming into the towering block, civilians scattering out of the way, shooting with deadly accuracy anyone who threatened them or hindered their progress. With guidance from Mitaka in geosynchronous orbit far above, stormtroopers located the elevator shaft and simply shot their way through opposition to their relentless progress. The locals' outdated weaponry was no match for blasters and stormtrooper armour. Soon, two troop carriers docked with the Finalizer, mission accomplished with no loss of First Order life. Phasma praised her stormtroopers in a mission debrief then found Hux in the command centre.

"Sir!"  
Phasma nodded and Hux followed her to a small conference chamber.  
"Report?"  
"General, we successfully recovered the individual with the tracker implant. He is in medbay three. He is not in a fit condition for interrogation. I have posted a guard at his door, with instructions to allow only you or I to enter."  
"Thank you, Captain."  
Hux turned to leave but Phasma called after him before he reached the door.  
"General, there is another prisoner."  
"Another?" Hux spun to face Phasma. "My instructions were to acquire one specific target. Why is there another?"  
Phasma stood firm.  
"Sir, the second individual appears to be the leader of the primitive social group. She may be useful. I think you may want to interrogate her after you have seen your... the primary target."

\-----------

Hux stood in the doorway, the stormtrooper out in the corridor dismissed to the far corner and warned of the consequences of eavesdropping. He waited, blinking, for his eyes to adjust to the inadequate illumination. A figure lay on the narrow bed, restrained at ankle and wrist while a droid attended to minor injuries sustained during his capture. Hux watched until the droid moved away, then stepped forward. He stared, hand covering his open mouth.

"What do you want from me! Where's Ma-Ma? Sithdamnit, I'm her clan techie and if you don't take me back she'll come after you and she'll fucking punish me in case I told you things."

Hux held his breath. The voice so familiar from so long ago spoke words that felt like needles under his skin.  
"I'm not kidding, Ma will fuck you up. Then me. Let me go."  
"Bren!"  
Hux stepped forward and laid a hand on the man's arm. He yelled.  
"WHO the FUCK are YOU!"  
"Bren," Hux replied quickly, "It's me, Brendol. I promised I would find you."  
"My name's Techie," the man squirmed in his binders. "That's all. Ma-Ma's techie."

Hux closed his eyes and breathed evenly. He knew this reunion might not be easy but he had not anticipated just how difficult it would be.  
"Bren, you are Bren Hux and I am Brendol, your brother. You were taken from us. Bren, do you remember?"  
The man shook his head. His red-rimmed eyes opened and focused on Hux, deep blue irises changing to suit the ambient lighting. Hux gasped.  
"You see what I am now? Leave me the fuck alone."

Hux squeezed his brother's arm, promised to return, and left the medbay. The droid moved forward and sprayed a colourless mist into Techie's eyes. Techie blinked, shook his head and cried out once in relief before he fell asleep.

\---------------

A day later, Hux returned to the medbay. He was not alone. Techie shrank back at the sight of the other... man? A tall figure in a black hood, wearing a mask that hid his features stood behind the one who called himself Brendol Hux. Memories tugged at Techie's consciousness, but he pushed them away. Ma would come for him soon and he better be ready to explain his absence.

"How do you feel, Bren? Your eyes look... better."  
Techie lay still, redness at his wrists and ankles showed that he had learned pulling at his restraints was pointless.  
"Please let me go. Ma called for me and you got in the way."  
"Is this Ma-Ma?"  
Hux held out his datapad, a snapshot of a bound and gagged woman, pale scarred face and streaked makeup surrounded by unruly dark hair. Techie tried to sit up.  
"Where is she!" He struggled against his binders. "Can... Can she get out? Is she awaiting judgement? What sentence will she get? Death? Isocube?"  
Hux set his mouth in a firm line.  
"She is in the next room. She cannot escape. Who is she? What did she do to make you her techie?"  
Techie froze and closed his eyes. Slowly, he shook his head.  
"Can't! Can't think, can't say it. Won't remember."

Hux turned to Ren.  
"Find out what she did to him. Gently, remember who he is."  
"General," Ren's voice made Techie stare and pull away as far as he could. "This is not a gentle process. What you have asked me to do will hurt him. Is it worth it?"  
Hux nodded and turned away. Ren took a step closer and reached out a hand, almost touching Techie's face.  
"Try to lie still."

Hux heard his brother whimper and cry out, a mixture of fear and pain in his cracked voice. Abruptly, Ren gasped, the sound exiting his mask as a groan. Ren grabbed Hux by the wrist and almost dragged him out of the medbay. Hux resisted with little effect.  
"Master Ren! I need to–"  
"You need to come with me. You there!" Ren stood directly in front of a young officer marching towards them. Hux shook his arm free of Ren's grasp. Ren turned to Hux. "He should not be unsupervised."  
Hux nodded. He looked at the startled officer.  
"Lieutenant, you will keep the... prisoner under observation. Give him anything he requires but do not let him out of his restraints. Understood?"  
"Yessir!"  
With a smart salute, Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka entered the medbay.

Ren pulled Hux into an empty medbay. Hux sneered.  
"What could possibly have got you, the great Kylo Ren, rattled?"  
Ren pushed Hux backwards until he half-sat, half-fell onto the narrow, padded bed.  
"You need to see for yourself."

Ren grabbed Hux's head in both hands. Images and emotions flooded Hux's consciousness, horrific images and emotions only made slightly distant by belonging to his brother. Terror. Pain. Confusion. Hoplessness, and eventual capitulation. Hux felt himself being grabbed and pinned down while a woman, _the_ woman came towards him, leaned over, cupped his face with her hands. He felt himself struggle, try to pull away, but he was held tighter, shoulders forced down as the woman grinned close to his face, hands tightening, thumbs pressing. He closed his eyes tight and screamed as white hot pain seared through him.

Hux took a sharp breath in, staggered, and his hands found his eyes. He stood, panting, Ren a couple of steps away. Tentatively, Hux moved his hands and blinked. He could see. Ren's voice, emotion disguised by the voice modulator in his mask, told Hux what he knew already but had yet to vocalise.  
"She gouged out his eyes in a fit of drug-fuelled anger, and left him blind for weeks until he broke. Your brother gave up. You should kill him for his weakness."

Hux straightened his back, glared at Ren and marched into medbay two. Seconds later, a stormtrooper emerged and closed the door behind her, almost quickly enough to cut off the scream from within. 

In medbay three, Mitaka frowned at the pathetic creature restrained on the bed, eyes shut tight and face screwed up in apparent agony. He approached slowly.  
"Um, hello? The General told me to, um, keep you company. My name is Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka. You look... um..."  
The man trembled. Mitaka put out his hand and touched a slender forearm, firm but gentle.  
"Hello? Do you need anything? Water? Pain relief?"  
"W-water."  
The man's voice trembled and he shivered. Mitaka pulled a blanket over him and reached for the water bottle on the trolley by the bed. He held it to the man's lips. A little spilled and the man coughed.  
"Please, if I had a h-hand free, just one? Please?"  
Mitaka frowned. "The General said... Oh I suppose one arm free wouldn't do any harm."

Mitaka released the prisoner's left arm and guided his hand to the water bottle. He watched the man drink, small sips until the bottle was drained.  
"Better?"  
The man nodded. His face had relaxed but his eyes remained closed.  
"Where am I? There was a man all in black, ugly mask..." he shivered, "made me remember..."  
The freed left hand covered the man's eyes and he shook, taking deep breaths. Mitaka moved closer, put a hand on one heaving shoulder.  
"You are on _The Finalizer,_ flagship of the First Order, under command of General Hux. The person you described is called Kylo Ren. He has... abilities." Mitaka squeezed the bony shoulder under his hand. "You are safe here. Will you tell me your name?"  
"Techie," barely a whisper. "I am Ma-Ma's techie."


	2. Revenge

Mitaka stayed with Techie for two hours, releasing his other hand, talking in a soft voice as a reassuring presence until General Hux returned and dismissed him. Hux pulled a chair up beside the bed and took Techie's hands.  
"Bren," Hux put his head down and rested his forehead on Techie's hands. "I regret that I didn't find you sooner."  
Techie freed his left hand and scratched his eyelids. The droid approached and instructed Techie to blink, misting his painfully irritated skin. Techie felt numb relief almost immediately.  
"I don't remember anything but Ma-Ma. Being the Ma-Ma Clan Techie. That's what I am."  
"Not any more," Hux pressed Techie's right hand. "You are my brother. Family."  
"Ma-Ma will find me and–"  
"No." Hux spoke calmly. "She will not. Remember what I told you? Ma-Ma can't touch you ever again." 

Techie clasped Hux's hand and pulled himself to sit up.  
"Am I your prisoner? Am I to be judged?"  
Hux frowned.  
"Of course not!"  
"Then why am I cuffed to the bed?"  
"I thought you might fight back," Hux sighed. "When you were extracted from that tower block you fought your rescuers. You were... uncooperative. They had to knock you out. Bren, I was concerned that you might damage yourself."  
Techie closed his eyes.  
"Please, c-call me Techie. I... I am not Bren."

"Maybe you will remember who you were. Maybe you will be my little Bren again one day. We were close before I was sent to school. The tracker was your idea, you said we could always find each other." Hux huffed. "Of course mine was detected and removed when I enrolled as a cadet. I have been looking for you ever since I heard of your disappearance. Bren... Techie, I want to find out what happened to you and punish those guilty. Every last one of them."

Techie frowned and snatched his hand away, fiddling with the ends of his unwashed hair, face twisted by fear. He tried to push away from Hux but could not move his feet.  
"Are you a Judge? I had no choice!" Techie reached his hands out to Hux. "Please, believe me! I wouldn't have, I did things to stay alive... Ma-Ma would have made me take slo-mo and had me killed. The things she did to people to make them suffer, she–"  
"Hush!" Hux took Techie's hands again. "No! You are not to blame. I know about Ma-Ma's methods. I know what she did to break you and I do not judge you for that."

Hux got up and unlocked the ankle restraints. Techie sat up, crosslegged, and rubbed his reddened ankles.  
"I will call for someone to keep you company until I can return."  
Techie kept his head down, lank coppery hair swishing from side to side as he rocked himself.  
"Will it be the same one as came before? The one who talked to me like I'm a person? He was nice."  
Hux raised his eyebrows.  
"Mitaka? Would you like me to send Mitaka?"  
Techie's head stayed down, but he nodded.

Hux left and Mitaka arrived a few minutes later to find the room empty. He frowned and almost called the stormtrooper guarding the corridor when he heard a quiet whimper. Mitaka sighed.  
"Techie? Are you here? It's me, Dopheld Mitaka. Remember? I was here earlier? Techie? It's only me, Doph."  
Silence. Mitaka stood listening for almost a full minute.  
"You can stay where you are if you want. I brought food, I thought you might be hungry."  
With a metallic click, a service port opened and Techie peered out. He checked all around the room before he emerged and scooted under the bed.  
"I heard someone coming," he explained, words tumbling. "A voice. I thought someone was coming for me."

Mitaka sat on the floor and held out a foil pouch.  
"Food, still warm. Well, synthsust rations. It's nutritionally balanced and tastes of not much. Eat, then you can tell me who you are afraid of, if you want to."  
Techie snatched the pouch and stared at it, turning it over in his hands. Mitaka suppressed a smile.  
"Tear off the marked corner and pull the tube out. Squeeze the pack slowly."  
Mitaka watched as Techie frowned at the pouch, located the correct corner and opened it. He squeezed a little too fast and a blob of synthsust spurted out, landing on his thumb. Techie sucked at his thumb then put the tube into his mouth. He squeezed and swallowed, made a face, squeezed and swallowed again. Mitaka laughed.  
"It almost tastes like food. It will keep you healthy enough."  
Techie upended the pouch and rolled it up to get the last gelatinous gobbet out. He dropped the empty foil on the floor and looked at Mitaka with a fearful expression.  
"Healthy enough for what?"

Mitaka picked up the empty packet, considering what uses the General might have planned for Techie.  
"It's just a saying. I expect General Hux will have some use for you. What skills do you have?"  
Techie kept his head down.  
"I'm a hacker. I'm good at bypassing security protocols."  
"Really?" Mitaka gave Techie a taut smile. "I run the weapons and some of the secure communications for _The Finalizer._ I bet you can't hack my systems."  
Techie looked up, a coy smile on his lips.  
"Is that a challenge?"

Mitaka laughed.  
"If you like, yes. I challenge you to... to... bypass the communications security and send me a message as if from the general's account. But I have to know it's you so send something I'll recognise, something General Hux would never say. To make it a proper challenge, you have to use a medbay terminal."  
Mitaka pointed at a panel on the wall. Techie grinned and Mitaka felt a hot flush on his cheeks.  
"Is there a prize when I win?"  
"Why not," Mitaka said. "You won't win so you can ask for anything you like and it will make no difference."  
"Hmm," Techie rubbed hands through his hair and scrunched up his nose. "I want to take a shower."  
"Oh, I can arrange that. Droid–"  
"But I've not won it, I've not hacked your system yet!"

Techie jumped when the droid beeped and moved towards the pair of them sitting on the floor. The droid sensed movement, halted and spoke.  
"Can I be of assistance? You are on the floor. Allow me to help you up."  
"No," Mitaka addressed the droid. Techie stared from Mitaka to the droid and back again. "The patient requires use of the hygiene unit. Please activate it."  
"Hygiene unit activated."  
The droid rolled back to its recess in the wall. A panel slid open next to it and Mitaka pointed.  
"You can use the shower whenever you want." Mitaka stood up and brushed down his uniform. He held his hand out to assist Techie. "I can wait in the corridor outside, or I can come back later."  
Techie took the offered hand after hesitating and scrambled to his feet. He took hold of Mitaka's arms.  
"Stay, please, I don't want to be on my own."  
Mitaka studied Techie's face, eyes drawn up to where copper hair swung clear of Techie's forehead. He frowned and lifted a hand, as if to touch the crude, spiky lettering. Techie jerked his head back.  
"I'm sorry."  
"What's that?"  
Techie pulled his hair forward.  
"I was marked when I was taken. Male."  
Mitaka stood quiet for another minute.  
"Well. Get in the shower. There are clean clothes in the hygiene unit already, leave yours on the floor. I will sit here facing the other way until you are done."

Mitaka turned the chair to face away from the hygiene unit. He heard Techie fumbling with his clothes and the soft whump of fabric hitting the floor. A few seconds of silence, then Techie called out.  
"How do I make it work?"  
Mitaka grinned.  
"Just tell it what you want."  
"I want to take a shower!" Techie repeated this a couple of times, with no effect. Mitaka laughed.  
"Um, may I come over and show you?"  
"Yes please."

Mitaka stood and turned, keeping his eyes on his feet until he had to look into the recess that housed the hygiene unit. Techie stood filthy, naked and confused. Eyes closed, Mitaka leaned in.  
"Full body, half pressure, temperature fifty percent. Three minutes."  
Mitaka pulled his head back just in time as warm water jets surrounded Techie in a slightly astringent cloud of droplets. Techie stood with an expression of joy on his face. He scrubbed at his skin and hair for the full three minutes then demanded the same again. The hygiene unit complied. Mitaka, who fully intended to return to his seat facing the wall, stood captivated by Techie's infectious giggle, grinning at the pleasure Techie found in such a simple act. 

The cleansing jets stopped and the drying cycle started. Techie stood with a horrified look on his face, pink skin from the heat and embarrassment. Mitaka looked away, sure that his own cheeks must be glowing.  
"It'll go away if I ignore it," Techie informed Mitaka. "You can look."  
Techie walked over to the bed, carrying soft pants and a shirt, wearing straining underpants and slippers. Mitaka tore his attention up to Techie's face.  
"Uh, I could wait outside for ten minutes, if you want."  
Techie frowned.  
"Why?"  
Mitaka couldn't help glancing down, however, his embarrassment was immediately replaced by shock.  
"Is that... are those..."  
He pointed to a set of marks on Techie's inner thigh. Techie looked where Mitaka pointed.  
"She bit me because I didn't want... I couldn't... I wouldn't do what she wanted. Look," Techie pushed the waistband of his regulation underpants down low to expose his belly. Mitaka covered his mouth with a hand. "She has a favourite knife. She digs it in and makes you do things for her. Sometimes she cuts you anyway. She bit someone's dick off. Not mine, she said it was useless anyway so there was no point."

Techie pulled on the pants and shirt. He sat on the edge of the bed.  
"Doph, that's your name."  
"Yes," Mitaka nodded, "and yours is Bren, according to General Hux. Should I call you Bren?"  
Techie shook his head.  
"It doesn't feel right."  
"The person who did those things to you–"  
"–is in the next room. General Hux said so. Doph, please, don't leave me alone, please. She'll find me and..."  
Techie curled up and hugged his knees to his chest. Mitaka sat on the bed beside him and touched his shoulder. Techie leaned against Mitaka. When General Hux returned with a couple of packets of synthsust, he found Techie dozing with his head on Mitaka's shoulder and Mitaka awkwardly trying to hold him upright.

Hux helped Mitaka to settle Techie in bed. Mitaka spoke in hushed tones.  
"Sir, he has been tortured."  
Hux nodded.  
"I am aware. What has he told you?"  
Mitaka described the marks he had seen on Techie's thigh and stomach, and Techie's explanation of how the injuries occurred. Hux's eyelid twitched and his lips became a firm line.  
"I want to know the moment he tells you anything more. I have altered your duty so that either you or I or Captain Phasma can be here to see that our pr... guest is safe. He trusts you, Lieutenant, and that is valuable to me. Rest, complete your shift and return here."  
Mitaka saluted and left. Hux kicked off his boots and dozed in the chair. 

Mitaka knocked, two taps, one tap, two taps. The door opened and Phasma almost pulled him inside. Mitaka laughed.  
"We only have minutes, the General changed our shifts."  
"Yes, I know," Phasma sighed. "So that we can play nursemaid to his brother. No-one must know, Doph, Hux knows his brother is weak and should have been put out of his misery, not saved."  
"Weak!" Mitaka raised his eyebrows. "Damaged, yes, but he has survived. That must have taken some kind of strength."  
Phasma sighed again.  
"The sooner he recovers enough to wreak revenge on his tormentor, the sooner we can all go back to normal. We will see little of each other until then."  
"I should not have come." Mitaka smiled up at Phasma. "You are on duty."  
Phasma smirked and stroked Mitaka's jaw.  
"General Hux is busy. Master Ren does not care for schedules. I can afford to be a little late."

In the medbay, Techie jerked awake out of a dream where Ma-Ma with her curved blade stalked and chased him through dark corridors. She leapt at him from doorways and her bloodied grimace waited around corners, and no matter how fast he ran he heard her footsteps behind him until in desperation he threw himself in slow motion to the atrium floor, skin peeling off in strips as he drifted through fetid air.

He lay in cooling sweat, sheet twisted around his feet and ankles. Techie sat up and groaned. He recognised Hux slumped in the chair and tried to curb his disappointment that Doph was not present. Despite his slight form and nervous manner, Doph made him feel reassured. Doph expected nothing of him. Except... 

Techie wiped his face on his sleeves and slipped out of bed. The medbay terminal was robust and crude, designed to be used by any authorised occupant, and he smiled, shaking his head, when he made it respond to his commands by entering a default password. He found his way around the medbay system quickly, grateful that whoever designed it seemed to possess an ordered mind. Techie found the medbay messaging system, leaned on the wall, frowned in concentration and got to work. It wasn't sleep, but methodical exploration of a well designed system relaxed him.

Three hours later, while General Hux snored in a chair in the medbay, Dopheld Mitaka received a personal message on his datapad that made him smile then almost throw his datapad in anger.

_Doph,_  
_Can my prize be to be allowed out of this room?_

_I found the medbay cameras. She really is in the next room, isn't she? What happened to her eyes? Did someone take them the same way she took mine, with thumbs and spite?_

_I am afraid to be alone while she is near. When the general wakes I will ask to be moved as far away as possible._

_Techie_

_Don't reply, it will go straight to Hux and wake him up. I will delete this message once I see you've read it, I don't want him to know._

 

Mitaka tapped his chin, deep in thought. The general clearly ordered him to report anything Techie told him immediately. The bridge was quiet and he could set most systems to automatic for a while and order a petty officer to stand in while he found Hux. But to tell his general that he had encouraged someone to hack into the secure messaging system that Mitaka himself was responsible for seemed like excessively keen over-adherence to a command that really could have been interpreted as more of a _request._ Mitaka stayed at his post.

Hux woke up sore with Techie watching him. Techie twiched a nervous smile.  
"Good morning? I think."  
Hux yawned, stretched, stood, yawned and stretched again.  
"Did you sleep?"  
"No," Techie hunched his shoulders and dropped his head. "I dream. I don't want to dream. Do you dream?"  
Techie looked up. Hux looked away from those unnaturally blue irises.  
"I never remember my dreams."

Techie bit his bottom lip, worried at it for a full minute. He kept his head down as he addressed his brother.  
"Gener... Brendol, do I need medical attention?"  
Hux scratched his head and rubbed the stubble on his jaw.  
"Droid, patient status report."  
The medical droid rolled forward slightly, informed the room that the patient was malnourished, suffering from minor trauma that would heal without further intervention, was recommended for psych evaluation and should rest. Hux smiled at Techie.  
"I will have you assigned suitable living quarters."  
Techie fidgeted with the hem of his pajama shirt.  
"Will... will _she_ still be there?"  
Techie pointed at the wall separating his medbay from the next. Hux shrugged.  
"Until you are well enough to face her and decide her punishment, yes. She is secure."

"I need to see!"  
Techie put his hands over his mouth too late, this statement tumbled out as a surprise even to him. Hux raised his eyebrows.  
"Are you sure?"  
Head spinning, Techie closed his eyes, covered his face and rocked back and forwards. He spoke the smallest _yesss_.  
"As you wish!" Hux held his hand out to Techie. Techie stared at it.  
"Now?"  
"Yes, face her now and decide her sentence. You can carry it out yourself, if you want."

Techie breathed deeply, telling himself _be strong, be stronger_. He reached a shaky foot to the floor and felt around for his slipper. Soon he stood, shoulders slumped and hands twisting at the fabric of his shirt. He shuffled after Hux, out of the medbay to the next door. Two stormtroopers snapped to attention as Hux approached. Hux faced the nearest.  
"Give me your blaster."  
"Sir!" 

Techie shrank from the distorted voice. Hux took the weapon and the stormtrooper saluted. Hux operated the panel by the door and the door hissed open. Hux stepped through. Techie followed.

"Lights!"  
Techie closed his eyes to avoid saturating his retinal sensors. His iris apertures closed his pupils to pinpoints and when he opened his eyes they appeared completely blue. Hux pointed.  
"There."  
Techie adjusted his eyes, sharpening his focus. It was her. Ma-ma lay cuffed to a bed in a room the mirror image of the medbay he almost thought of as _his_. Hux took Techie's arm and pulled him closer.

"That is the person who did..." Hux faltered. "Those things to you." Techie shrank back, sheltering behind Hux. "She can't touch you! Bren, look. Look at her."  
"Nonononono...," Techie shook. He stepped back, pulling Hux with him. The woman restrained on the medical couch laughed, showing stained teeth between thin pink lips.  
"Techie? Is that my techie? HAH! Come to me, techie, I'll have your eyes. You won't need them when I'm done with you."

Techie did the ony thing he knew how to do to survive. He ran.

Mitaka, shift halfway through, planned to take his break as he always did: reading on his datapad, slurping synthsust and caf in the mess. He reached the corridor that lead to the officers' mess but turned the other way, reasoning that there was time to look in on Techie and check if he needed anything.

A body slammed into Mitaka as he turned the corner into the medbay area. Mitaka reeled backwards and fell, the body tripped and fell on top of him. Winded for a few seconds, Mitaka rolled over to tip the weight off his chest. He saw a flash of copper hair and a frightened face. Mitaka clung around Techie's waist to stop the terrified man from bolting.

"Techie! Techie? It's me, Doph."  
Techie struggled and whined in fear. Mitaka held him tight, rolled over him and pinned him down.  
"Techie!"

Techie focused on MItaka after a minute or so of struggling. Techie begged Mitaka, fear making his voice falter.  
"H-help me! H-hide me!"  
"I will. Trust me."  
Mitaka got to his feet and clasped Techie's hand, helped him up and pulled him close enough to murmur in his ear.  
"I will hide you in my room, but you must remain calm. I will take you there."  
Techie nodded, swallowing and looking back over both shoulders, left then right. Mitaka led Techie through the regular matrix of walkways and corridors to his quarters. He opened the door and invited Techie inside.

“Sit?”  
Mitaka pointed at the narrow bunk. Techie perched on the edge. Mitaka sat beside him, far enough away for there to be no accidental contact.  
"What were you running from? The general?"  
"No." Techie shook his head. "From _her_."  
"From her?" Mitaka frowned. "What do you mean?"  
Techie curled up, head on his knees and arms hugged tight around himself. His voice whispered out.  
"In the other medbay."

Mitaka closed his eyes and felt his face burn. His stomach turned off the idea of food. He should have known. He reached a hand out and touched Techie's back gently between his shoulder blades. Techie flinched at first, but leaned in when Mitaka touched him again and lied.  
"Techie, I must return to my duty. You will be safe here.

Techie nodded his acknowledgment and Mitaka straightened his uniform and left, locking the door behind him. Inside Mitaka's quarters, Techie slid off the bunk and squirmed into the dark space underneath, hidden behind boxes of Mitaka's belongings.

Mitaka went first to the armory where he requested a hand weapon for target training, then to the medbay. He walked up to the two stormtroopers guarding Ma-Ma's door. In his most confident voice, almost impersonating General Hux himself, Mitaka addressed the two guards.  
"Stand aside please. General Hux ordered me to report on the condition of the prisoner."  
One of the stormtroopers stepped aside but the other stepped in front of Mitaka.  
"We received no such order. This door is to be opened only by General Hux himself."  
Mitaka shrugged and half-turned away.  
"If you insist," his eyes wandered to the soldier's insignia. Mitaka smiled. "Stormtrooper TK3502, I will inform the general of your strict adherence to his command. I am sure he will commend you for refusing to allow a more senior officer than yourself to carry out his updated orders."  
Mitaka took a step away.  
"Wait! Sir."  
The stormtrooper stood aside and Mitaka entered the medbay. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the prisoner.  
"Tell me," he said in clipped tones, "what exactly you did to your techie."

Ma-Ma, bloodied face and empty sockets, laughed.


	3. Retribution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitaka takes matters into his own hands. He knows there will be a price to pay.

Ma-Ma’s voice, cracked and husky from dehydration, barely reached a croak. Mitaka stepped closer and held a water bottle to her mouth. Ma-Ma sucked at it greedily but Mitaka pulled it away after a couple of seconds, leaving Ma-Ma straining up, licking her lips.  
“Give that back,” she demanded, “or I will tell you nothing.”  
Mitaka shrugged.  
"Tell me or don't tell me. It will only affect your lifespan by hours."  
Mitaka adjusted the settings on his hand blaster and held it at a grazing incidence to Ma-Ma's shin. He touched the trigger and Ma-Ma screamed, the only witness a deactivated medidroid. 

Mitaka removed the weapon.  
"Feeling any more talkative?"  
Ma-Ma shook her head, thrashing from side to side with the pain in her leg. Mitaka applied the weapon again, this time on her outer thigh. Five seconds on low power, burning skin and muscle. Ma-Ma juddered against her restraints, trying desperately to break contact with the searing pain. Mitaka removed the blaster.  
"Are you ready to answer my question yet?"

Ma-Ma lasted almost an hour before Mitaka had heard enough. He left the medbay, what remained of Ma-Ma before Mitaka put his blaster against her chest at full power was barely recognisable as human. He calmly turned in his weapon for inspection and returned to his duty, filling his head with weapons statuses and communications security, and trying not to have to look at the General. 

After two hours, Mitaka was relieved at the end of his shift. He saluted, performed a standard handover and left the bridge. Nervous, he walked smartly to his quarters thinking only of the number of steps he took and not the possible consequences of his actions having been discovered already. He let himself into his room and closed the door quickly behind him. Techie was not there.

"Techie? It's me," Mitaka remembered finding Techie hidden behind the service panel of the medbay. "Doph. You are safe, there's nobody else here."  
A box slowly slid out from under Mitaka's bunk. Mitaka got down on hands and knees to pull the box clear and peer into the gap below the head of his bed. Blue eyes, thin irises surrounding black pupils peered back at him. Mitaka smiled.  
"You can come out if you want. Or stay there if you are comfortable."  
Techie blinked.  
"Need to stretch. Sithdamn cramp."  
Mitaka pulled his other boxes clear of the bunk then pulled Techie out by the arms, giggling at the pained expression on Techie's face. He helped Techie up and kicked his boxes back into place.

"Better?" Mitaka watched his guest scratch and stretch and stamp life back into his legs. "Have you been under there all the time I was on duty?"  
"Since you left," Techie nodded, watching the door. "I hid. I think I slept for a while. Has she asked for me or come looking for me? I could–"  
"No!" Mitaka took Techie's hand, which was indicating his hiding space under the bunk again. "She can't. I have... I have made sure she can't ever come after you." Mitaka clasped Techie's hand in both of his, heart thumping and throat tight.   
"Should I show you what I mean?"

Techie snatched his hand away and walked backwards until his heels hit the wall.  
"I can't. No. Don't make me look. Brendol made me see her and... I remembered... like I was right there again. It was _real_ Doph, I felt her hands on me and..."  
Mitaka stayed perfectly still as Techie's trembling hands found his face and he shuddered out a dry sob.  
"You don't have to go back to the medbay," Mitaka kept his tone calm and quiet, and held out his datapad. "I can show you from here. Ma-Ma is dead. I killed her."   
Techie did not respond. He stood breathing through his hands, eyes closed, sweat making his hair cling to his brow and cheeks. Mitaka walked forward slowly and reached a hand out to touch Techie's elbow gently. Techie let out a whimper, doubled over and retched.

Mitaka reflected that the ease of digestion of synthsust was sometimes a good thing. He summoned a service droid then took Techie, arm around his shoulders, over to the bunk. Techie flinched as the door opened and the little droid announced its presence with a tuneful series of beeps. Mitaka instructed it to clean the floor and bring a hygiene kit, fresh pyjamas and slippers. The droid got to work. Techie sat on the bunk with his knees pulled up and his head down, curled up tight. Mitaka waited until the droid left, the items he had requested already in a neat pile by his door for the droid to push into the room before the door closed.

"Techie?"  
The trembling heap took a couple of deep breaths and uncoiled, long slender limbs unwrapping. He glanced sideways at Mitaka.  
"I'm sorry. I'll find somewhere else to... be. I'm okay."  
"Do you want me to take you to your brother?" Mitaka suggested, hoping Techie would say no, but Techie nodded. Mitaka picked up the clean clothes and washbag, put them beside Techie and held out a hand.  
"Come on, bring those. I bet he'd let you use his personal hygiene unit instead of the communal one I have to use."  
Techie took Mitaka's hand, stood up, let go to gather the small bundle in one arm and hugged Mitaka with his free arm. Techie's quiet voice murmured in Mitaka's ear with perhaps an accidental brush of lips.  
"Thank you."

Meanwhile, Phasma marched down the medbay corridor. She had already put out a low level alert for Techie, ordering sightings to be reported but that he was not to be approached. There was no full searching of _The Finalizer,_ such a task would be a drain on human resources and there were many potential hiding places that would require her stormtroopers to pull open panels and hatches where they had no business to look. Hux seemed confident that Techie would be able to look after himself and would appear, although Phasma doubted her General's reasoning of _Under it all, he is a Hux._

Phasma paused to let the stormtroopers guarding Ma-Ma's room step aside. The door hissed open and she strode in, coming to an abrupt halt after only three steps. She stared. Ma-Ma was still on the couch, but would not be answering any questions. Phasma turned and let herself out.  
"Seal the room. Only General Hux and myself may enter. Understand?"  
Both guards acknowledged her order with a jump to attention and a salute.  
"Who else has been allowed into this medbay today?"  
"Captain!" One stormtrooper spoke. "There has been nobody since the start of beta duty."

Phasma repeated her order and headed for the barrack rooms. The two alpha duty guards sat in the communal messhall playing cards, barely aware of the frisson as Phasma walked towards them. She halted at their side, a chrome gauntleted hand on the pile of cards between them.  
"TK3502 and TN2993 come with me immediately."

The two stormtroopers had sweated and shifted weight from foot to foot opposite Phasma while she questioned them separately. Eventually sure neither had lied, she ordered both to report for reconditioning and pulled up the security feed from the medbay. Phasma took a seat, scrubbed forward through the day's visuals and watched as Mitaka entered the medbay and got to work. She had to admit a slight twinge of admiration for the lieutenant. His methods were undoubtedly crude, but the writhing form on the couch demonstrated their effectiveness.

Tapping her fingers on the desk, Phasma considered the best course of action. Hux would have to know, of course, but she would not serve her own interests by throwing Mitaka to Hux cold. After all, it was her own stormtroopers who had disobeyed a direct order and allowed Mitaka to take such graphic action. Phasma put her datapad away and stood, put her helmet back on and went to find Mitaka. The less official communication there was on this matter, the better.

Phasma almost literally ran into Mitaka outside the officers' mess. She steadied him with a hand on his shoulder and murmured that he should return to his quarters. Mitaka nodded, picked up a synthsust pouch and scurried back to his room, a smile on his face. Phasma was already inside, helmet off. Mitaka's expression froze and his words dried when he saw Phasma's face. Instead of the welcoming smile she usually offered him, Phasma wore a look of fury.

"You have been stupid, Doph!" Phasma paced back and forward. "What were you thinking! Tricking my stormtroopers into letting you in, torturing and killing the General's prisoner? Idiot!"  
She spat the last word, harsh consonants jarring in Mitaka's ears. He felt sick, dropped his meal on the small desk by the door and sat on his bunk.  
"Phasma–"  
"Why?" Phasma punctuated her speech with a jabbing finger. "Why. Did. You. Not. Come. To. Me. First."  
"BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE STOPPED ME!" 

Mitaka had not intended to shout. Phasma, unused to hearing Mitaka's raised voice, made an _oh!_ with her lips and stared at the reddening, glaring young officer. He looked away, hands in his hair then under his thighs to stop him from fidgeting. That was more familiar to Phasma, Mitaka's nervousness at the very beginning of their illicit relationship had been endearing. Today it was a source of irritation.

Phasma tried to swallow her anger. She closed her eyes, clenched her fists and breathed. Mitaka watched, well aware of Phasma's methods for calming herself. He freed his hands, interlacing his fingers in his lap instead.  
"Of course I would have stopped you." Phasma sat by Mitaka. "I will have to inform General Hux. You know that? I sent the guards for reconditioning so they will not remember it was you, and I can wipe the security memory bank in the medbays to make it look like a glitch, but I can't bring his prisoner back so that justice can be served. She should have been dealt with by a Hux. You have taken that from him."

Mitaka nodded. His voice was slow and heavy.  
"I understand." He looked at Phasma. "Hux will have me transferred somewhere. He can't make a public example of me on a personal matter, but he can make my life unbearable at the tap of a datapad."  
Phasma nodded. She put both arms around Mitaka's shoulders and pulled him towards her. Mitaka leaned in to her embrace and sighed.  
"I wanted to hear from her what she had done to Techie. I had to know, I couldn't bear not knowing how she broke him. Then I found I couldn't bear to have that knowledge and let her live. She had no reason for so much of her cruelty." Mitaka twisted to look up at Phasma's face. "Can you imagine that? Damaging someone helpless so badly with no benefit to yourself?"

Phasma closed her eyes and imagined how Mitaka would fare on one of the outer rim outposts. She held him close and kissed the top of his head.  
"Does Techie know you killed Ma-Ma? If you have told no one then–"  
She felt Mitaka shake his head.  
"I told Techie. General Hux took Techie to see Ma-Ma and he had a flashback, bolted straight into me. I brought him here because it was safe and quiet. I signed out an adjustable hand-blaster and went to see Ma-Ma, then went back to my post. I told Techie because he was terrified that Ma-Ma would find him."

Two datapads chimed one after the other. Phasma and Mitaka separated and read their communication logs. The looked at each other in dismay.  
"This is it, Phasma."  
Phasma nodded.  
"Idiot."  
This time there was no anger behind the word. Mitaka smiled, eyes bright and blinking. Phasma held him tight and kissed him. She broke off and picked up her helmet.  
"You first, I will be twenty seconds behind you. Doph?"  
"Mm?"  
"I will do what I can to smooth this, but..."  
Mitaka nodded and left the room.

\--------------------

Earlier, escorted by Mitaka who retreated to the end of the corridor where he could supervise from a distance, Techie had stood facing a durasteel door identical with Mitaka's except for the insignia emblazoned on it. He looked to where Mitaka lurked and smiled when Mitaka waved. He put his hand on the door access panel and walked in. General Hux was at his desk, staring at the inset display. 

"Yes?" Hux barked without looking up. Startled, Techie only managed, "Umm..."  
Hux's head snapped up and he almost leapt from his seat.   
"Bren! I am glad you are safe. Come, sit over here. What happened? You ran!"  
Hux led Techie to a small sofa at the side of the office area. Techie perched and Hux sat on a chair opposite.  
"Are you well? Do you need anything?"  
Techie pointed to his bundle.  
"I vomited on my feet and Mitaka's floor. He brought me to you. Can I use your hygiene unit?"  
Hux nodded and led Techie into his private living area. Techie looked around the clinically bare walls at his brother's life, thinking that Hux was as damaged as he was, if in different ways. Hux took Techie's bundle and shook out the pyjamas for him.  
"Go on, do you know how it works?"  
Techie smiled and nodded.  
"Activate hygiene unit."  
A door slid open. Techie stripped, dropping his soiled clothing on the floor. Hux picked it up and lobbed it into a chute beside the shower and left the room. Techie stepped into the wet area.   
"Temperature forty percent, pressure eighty percent, full body, seven minutes."  
He hoped his brother would not check on him.

After, Techie sat on Hux's bunk wearing clean grey pyjamas and slippers. Hux sat beside him.  
"Are you feeling better?"  
"Yes," Techie nodded. "I'm hungry. I ran into Doph and he hid me in his quarters. He said Ma-Ma was dead and couldn't get me any more."  
"Dead?" Hux frowned. "What did he mean? You saw her alive, she threatened you pointlessly from her restraints and you ran. How can she be dead?"  
"Doph said so," Techie shrugged. "He said he killed her and did I want to see proof. I said no, I wanted to see you."

Hux clenched his jaw and the edge of his eyelid twitched.  
"Will you be all right here on your own for a few minutes?" Techie nodded at Hux. "I want to check on something. You can come through to my office if you like or you can stay here where it's private."  
Techie looked around the clinically bare room.  
"I will stay here."  
Just as Hux reached out to activate the door between his private and public worlds, Techie spoke again.  
"Brendol, am I weak? For running?"  
Hux strode back and clasped Techie in a firm embrace, stroking his long, smooth hair.  
"No, Bren, Techie, some people _stronger_ than you would not have lasted half as long. You did what you had to to endure and I should not blame you that she influences you yet. You are not weak. I wish you had taken that blaster and killed her but you are not ready. Your time to exact justice will come. When you are more recovered."  
Techie frowned and pushed back slightly.  
"Justice or revenge? No, I am glad Doph killed her when I could not."

Hux left his brother and checked security footage from the medbay. There was nothing at all. He called a tech team to repair whatever caused the glitch in their security system and headed down to the medbays himself. Both stormtroopers saluted and stepped aside as Hux approached. He entered the medbay and stopped dead. Techie was right. Ma-Ma was dead.

Hux covered his mouth and nose with his hand, and mumbled through his gloves.  
"Air, maximum cycling. Medidroid activate, mask."  
There was a whine as the air recycler and filter ramped up to maximum volume rate and a series of beeps as the medidroid activated and approached with a face mask for Hux. Hux slipped the mask on and stared at what remained of Ma-Ma. The droid informed him in flat tones that the patient was beyond assistance.  
Hux felt his stomach rebel and his mouth run with saliva. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before vomiting. The medidroid changed objctives and offered Hux an antiemetic and electrolyte replacement fluid. Hux refused the medication but accepted the foil pack of fruit flavoured salts solution, washing out his mouth and spitting. He swallowed a couple of sips and instructed the droid to have the room cleared and disinfected.

Outside, Hux took a few breaths of cleaner air and hoped his distress was not too obvious. He dismissed the guards and returned to his quarters. Techie lay on his bunk, and Hux did not have the heart to wake him. Instead, he called for Phasma and Mitaka. One of them had stolen the Hux family's right to retribution, and the other had allowed it to happen. Someone would pay for the insult to the Hux name.


	4. recovery

Captain Phasma and Lieutenant Mitaka stood in front of General Hux. Hux glared.  
"Explain to me, Captain, how it is that a prisoner under guard of YOUR stormtroopers ends up dead at the hands," Hux shifted his gaze to Mitaka, "or rather the blaster, of an officer who did not have clearance even to enter the room."

Phasma tried to explain.  
"Sir, I have disciplined the two stormtroopers concerned. It will n–"  
"NOT HAPPEN AGAIN?" Hux shouted without warning, face twisted and cheeks red. "DO NOT TELL ME THAT!"  
Hux calmed in a second.  
"Captain, you may wait outside."  
Phasma saluted, pivoted and marched out.

Hux turned all his attention to Mitaka. Mitaka stared into space, eyes unfocused and balance uncertain. His head spun and he feared he might vomit. Mitaka closed his eyes and swallowed.  
Hux spoke clinically.  
"Describe what you did, and why."

Mitaka cleared his throat.  
"Sir! Techie told me some of the things Ma-Ma did to him. He was terrified of her, that she would get free and come for him. I killed her because I wanted to show Techie he did not have to be afraid any more. I wanted him to feel safe."  
Hux listened with his fingers steepled and his head down. When Mitaka faltered to a halt, Hux looked up.  
"You have stolen from a Hux. There will be punishment."

Mitaka frowned.  
"Sir? Stolen?"  
"Ma-Ma was Techie's." Hux said, "she ruined his life so her life was his to decide. Not yours."  
"Sir," Mitaka tried to argue his case. "Techie ran to me after you took him to see Ma-Ma and he had a flashback. He needed closure, and quickly. I acted in Te–"

Mitaka stopped talking when Hux leapt to his feet and leaned across his desk. The smaller man shrank back from his superior officer.  
"IT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO ACT ON BEHALF OF A HUX!"  
"Nossir!" Mitaka responded with the immediacy of a learned reflex.  
"HOW DARE YOU TAKE HIS REVENGE FROM HIM!"

Hux, red-faced and shaking with fury, yelled at the wide-eyed lieutenant until a sudden motion caught him by surprise. Techie, wakened by the uproar, ran at them from the side and held tight to Mitaka, shielding him from Hux's temper.  
"BREN!" Hux stepped back in surprise. "Bren, go back to the bedroom. I will deal with this."

"NO!" The refusal stung Hux. Techie turned to Hux, back to Mitaka, arms out as if hiding him. He shook his head, eyes burning, cheeks and neck mottled pink. "STOP IT!"  
Techie continued to shake his head, hair flicking behind him.  
"Stop it! Stop, stop, stop."  
Silenced by his brother's distress, Hux gawped as Mitaka put his hand on Techie's shoulder and walked around to face Techie. Mitaka took Techie's hands in his own and rubbed them, spoke quiet words that Hux could not quite hear. Techie calmed after a few minutes. 

"Bren," Hux spoke with flat calm. "I want you to wait in the briefing room down the hall. I must finish speaking to the lieutenant."  
"Are you going to kill him?"  
"No."  
Techie did not move. Hux walked around his desk to face them properly. He touched Techie's arm and Techie flinched. Hux suppressed a flash of anger that this subordinate officer had his brother's trust. Fingernails digging into his palms, Hux called Phasma back into the room and ordered her to escort Techie to the briefing room. Still, Techie would not move until Mitaka spoke quiet reassurance.

Expecting to be on the receiving end of another round of shouting followed by a trip to one of the cells, Mitaka looked down and cringed slightly. Hux walked back to his desk and sat down.  
"Lieutenant Mitaka, you are to have no further contact with Bren Hux. Understand? I do not like this hold you seem to have over him. He is a Hux, not your pet. For your disloyalty you will accept whatever punishment Bren decides you are due once he is fit to make that judgement. Other than your regular duties, you are confined to quarters until I say otherwise. Dismissed."

Meanwhile, in the briefing room, Phasma watched Techie fret. She thought he seemed never to be at peace, constantly fidgeting and fiddling with his clothing. She laid her helmet on the table and waved to get his attention.  
"Why Mitaka?"  
Techie frowned.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Why run to Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka when you could run to your brother, the general?" Phasma tilted her head. "Surely your brother can offer greater protection than Doph– Lieutenant Mitaka?"  
Techie's frown deepened.  
"Doph talks to me like I'm a person. Brendol treats me like a possession."  
"Oh." Phasma sat back. "But you do _like_ Doph. Don't you?"  
"Sure, he's been nice to me." Techie glanced up uncertainly. "Will Brendol hurt him? I hope not."  
"No." Phasma snorted at the idea. "He's a good officer and the general appreciates his dedication to the First Order. Do you find Doph attractive?"  
"Huh?" Techie stared at Phasma. "Do you?"

Phasma roared with laughter.  
"Oh fuck yes, he's _exactly_ what I want at the end of a long shift. I want my little lieutenant to come see me and make me relax."  
Techie giggled. Phasma watched his face and decided to push a little.  
"He's very good with his hands."  
Techie reddened delightfully and looked down.  
"Oh?" Phasma smirked and leaned forward. "You'd like to find out for yourself just how... efficient he can be, I bet."  
"No!" Techie raised both arms, palms out facing Phasma. "Uh. No, I don't want that."  
"Hm, Doph not your type?" Phasma cocked an eyebrow. "Probably a good thing. I consider him mine."

Techie sighed and met Phasma's cool gaze.  
"You've got me wrong. I don't have a type. I don't want to fuck Doph or anyone else. I just don't."  
"Oh." Phasma frowned. "Never?"  
Techie shook his head.  
"Never have. I like to think about it when I... um... well. But I don't want to have to do it."  
"So," Phasma concluded, "you are not planning on fucking Mitaka?"  
Techie blushed.  
"No!" He laughed nervously. "Doph just feels... safe."

Mitaka smiled when he overheard the last part of Techie and Phasma's conversation. Phasma looked up and Techie looked round at the sound of the door.  
"I'm confined to quarters until further notice. I am to have no further contact with you Techie, the general's orders."  
Techie got up and hugged Mitaka. Phasma stared in disbelief.  
"Is that it? No demotion? No reassigment?"  
"Not so far," Mitaka shrugged. "He says Techie must decide my punishment."  
Techie, still holding on to Mitaka, frowned.  
"But I'm glad you did it. I don't want you to be punished. I'll make him change his mind."  
Mitaka stroked Techie's hair.  
"Good luck with that. I should go."  
Phasma got up to say goodbye. She stroked Mitaka's cheek.  
"I will visit when I can, Doph." 

Phasma and Techie frowned at each other once Mitaka left. Phasma sighed.  
"I have rarely known the general to change his mind. Mitaka is to be punished and the punishment must fit his crime."  
"What should I do?" Techie gazed back at Phasma's worried frown.  
"First," Phasma took Techie's arm, "talk to your brother."

Phasma escorted Techie back to Hux and left them. Hux twitched a smile at Techie.  
"I apologise for having Captain Phasma remove you, but I needed to speak to Lieutenant Mitaka alone. You will not see him again until you choose his punishment. I have assigned you quarters on this corridor so that you will be closer to me and you may begin training with the technical support corps as soon as you are ready."  
"Choose his punishment." Techie struggled to keep his voice calm. "I don't want to punish Doph."  
"Only because you do not understand his crime. You have forgotten what it means to be a Hux. Hold your head up, be proud of who you are and do not allow any insult to slip past you. Bren," Hux took Techie's right hand between both of his, "take some time to recover your sense of... of..."  
Hux searched for a word. Techie supplied one with a tone of irritation, "Entitlement?"  
Techie held his breath, ready to duck or run, but Hux laughed.  
"Precisely!"

\-------------

The next few days were taken up with Techie settling in to new accommodation which had more luxury and privacy than he could ever remember, and a new job with regular hours and the expectation that he would be punctual. Hux met with his brother before and after shifts to oversee his transformation from the Ma-Ma Clan Techie to Ensign Bren Hux. Techie proved to be a fast learner and Hux liked what he saw, praising his brother for adopting a regulation hairstyle, keeping his uniform neat and remaining aloof. In front of others, Techie was deferential to his brother with only occasional, calculated slip-ups to allow General Hux to be seen publicly not to favour family, although privately he ordered Techie's superior officers never to shout at or near him.

General Hux was so impressed with his brother's progress that he boasted about Hux values to Phasma and Ren. Phasma, who knew _exactly_ how deep Techie's reconditioning went, nodded and yessir-ed without further comment. Ren dignified Hux's arrogance with a derisive snort and advice that Hux should have listened to him and thrown the pathetic excuse for a human out of an airlock as soon as he proved himself incapable of killing his tormentor. Meanwhile, Mitaka gave every appearance of cooperating with his house arrest, arriving in the command centre promptly and allowing Phasma to implant a subdermal tracker in his shoulder to monitor his confinement.

Mitaka looked forward to three daily events. First, he would wake to a message from _GBH_ wishing him good morning, asking him not to reply and telling him where to look in his room. As soon as he had read the message, Mitaka would find a copper wirework sculpture, a tree or a flower or an animal, in whatever hiding place he had been directed to search. The message would always have vanished by the time Mitaka set the ornament on his shelf. 

Second, Phasma would visit him briefly on the bridge when the general was occupied elsewhere and tell him how Techie was getting on. Mitaka smiled on the fourth day.  
"Captain," asaked Mitaka, "may I ask you a sensitive question?"  
"Here?" Phasma raised an eyebrow.  
Mitaka leaned closer.  
"How do you appear as soon as Hux leaves? Have you fitted our general with a tracker?"  
"Coincidence." Phasma grinned and winked. Mitaka thought it best not to ask again.

Third, Mitaka might wake during his rest period to find he was not alone in his quarters. The first time this happened, Mitaka woke to find Phasma removing her chrome as quietly as possible. He pretended to be asleep but a clang and a soft curse made him snigger and Phasma, laughing, pushed him to make room for herself beside him on his narrow bunk. She had not stayed long that night or the next two. Four nights later, it was Techie who roused him.

"You shouldn't be here!" Mitaka sat up. "How did you get in? Did you hack the security system?"  
"No," Techie removed the clip at the back of his neck and shook out his hair. "I asked Phasma for your keycode. She says she's real busy, Hux is making her do a full review of their training programme. I thought you might be lonely so I came to keep you company."  
Mitaka got out of bed and took Techie's arm, steering him toward the door.  
"If the general finds out, he'll–"  
"–he won't," Techie interrupted. "I waited until Kylo Ren went into my brother's quarters. He'll be too busy to check up on me properly for at least an hour. Besides, I diverted my room comms to yours so if he calls it'll come here."  
Mitaka was unconvinced.  
"It's too risky. If he finds out I disobeyed he'll transfer me to some sithforsaken hellhole on the frontier and make you–"

The comms panel buzzed and lit up. Techie shushed Mitaka and pressed the control to accept a voice message.  
"Are you there, Bren?"  
"Of course, Brendol."  
"I apologise for missing you this evening. Did you have a successful day?"  
"Yes, thank you." Techie grinned at Mitaka, who covered his face and shook his head. "I could come say goodnight if you're not busy."  
"No!" was that panic in Hux's voice? "I have, um, something important to do then I want an early night. I will see you before breakfast. Goodnight, Bren."  
"Goodnight, Brendol."  
Techie cut the call and giggled. He sat on Mitaka's bunk.  
"I had an idea about your punishment." 

It had been an offhand, snarky comment of Ren's that gave Techie the idea. Techie had interrupted his brother in Ren's presence and suffered the consequence of being verbally chastised in front of the masked creature. Ren had commented that he was surprised Hux allowed his brother to live on, dishonouring the Hux name first by becoming enslaved and humiliated by a primitive warlord he subsequently failed to kill, then by accepting a lowly technical position with an honorary rank no better than a servant. At first Ren's words had stung and Techie stifled his anger, moving his toolbox to the malfunctioning display panel Hux pointed at and keeping his red, scowling face hidden. But as he tightened loose connections and cleaned corroded contacts, listening to Hux splutter that it was a temporary measure until Bren was ready for a rank that fit the name of Hux, he formed a plan.

"Oh." Mitaka sat beside Techie. "Will it hurt?"  
"I don't know. My brother would think it demeaning. What do you think is the worst thing that could happen to a Hux?"  
"Death?" Mitaka shrugged. "Horrible pain and death."  
"Apart from that." Techie took Mitaka's hand and watched his face. Mitaka looked blank. "Being subordinate. If my brother had to show deference to someone of lower rank he would choke on his own indignation."  
"Are you going to have me demoted?" Mitaka sighed and pulled his hand away.  
"What? N-no!" Techie fiddled with the hem of his tunic and looked down.  
"What, then?"  
Techie sighed and stood up.  
"It was a stupid idea. I should go, like you said."

Mitaka caught Techie's arm before he reached the door.  
"Please, tell me."  
Techie seemed to be making a decision with his whole body. He swayed one way then the other, finally putting his arms around Mitaka's shoulders and holding him close.  
"Please don't be angry or insulted."  
"I can't promise that, Techie."  
"Well, say you will forgive me if I fuck up."  
"I will forgive you." Mitaka looped his arms loosely around Techie's waist.  
Techie sighed and swallowed.  
"I thought I could ask for you to be my sla... ser... um, assistant. For a while?"

Mitaka dropped his forehead onto Techie's shoulder and tightened his grip around Techie's waist.  
"You want me, a lieutenant of the First Order, to be at the beck and call of an honorary ensign of the technical division?"  
"Yes."  
Mitaka smiled.  
"General Hux is going to love it."


	5. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> General Hux holds a meeting for Mitaka and Techie to set Mitaka's punishment.  
> Mitaka and Techie, with Phasma's help, are playing a dangerous game.

Techie stayed with Mitaka to discuss details of Mitaka's penance then left to lie awake in his own bed wondering about the best way to bring the subject up with his brother. Mitaka lay awake wondering if the general would accept Techie's suggestion. Phasma had not even made it to her quarters, the luxury of lying awake in bed was hours off. Hux slept, Ren's immobile form breathing evenly beside him for now.

Hux entered Techie's quarters after slipping out of bed, showering and putting on a fresh uniform all without waking Ren. Hux smiled as Ren's hulking form sighed and stretched out. He walked over, perhaps with a half-formed intention to leave a kiss on the sleeping man's cheek, but thought better of it and left quietly. Behind him, unseen, Ren smiled.

Techie was half dressed. Hux walked in, talking.  
"Good morning, Bren. Are you... oh you slept in?"  
Techie nodded, pulling on his tunic and muffling his words.  
"I lay awake for hours then fell asleep just before my alarm. Sorry."   
The general smiled.  
"But you're fit for duty? Of course you are, you're Bren Hux."  
Techie bit his lip as he dipped his head and fastened his hair with a clasp at the nape of his neck.  
"Yes. Um, can I talk to you later?" Techie looked up at his brother, "About Mitaka's punishment?"  
"Tell me now if you have decided on something."

Hux used Techie's comms panel to order a service droid to bring caf and synthsust to them, then sat on the small bench sofa that matched his own. Techie sat beside him, perched on the edge and half-turned towards him so that their knees almost touched. He waited until the chirruping droid slid their breakfast tray onto his desk and rolled out again.  
"I want to humiliate Mitaka for what he did."  
"Oh?" Hux raised his eyebrows. "You understand now?"  
Techie nodded.  
"Yes. He took away my chance for rev... justice. That made me look weak. He should look weak in exchange."  
"Indeed. What did you have in mind?" Hux huffed a soft laugh. "We do not go in for public flogging in the First Order but–"  
"No!" Techie grimaced. "Nothing as brutal. Not even a demotion."  
"What then?" Hux asked, confusion pulling at his brow.  
"I want to make Mitaka my servant until he has learned that his place is beneath Bren Hux. Whatever his rank, my name counts for more."

Hux threw back his caf and frowned.  
"Bren, I ordered Lieutenant Mitaka to have no further contact with you. He cannot be your servant."  
"Then how can I make his punishment effective? There's no point making him debase himself unless it is before me." Techie's voice raised a little with nervousness and he turned his face away, fiddling with his synthsust pouch. He took a deep breath. "Sith _fucking_ damnit Brendol! You promised I could punish Mitaka _my_ way. I need this!"  
Techie kept his face turned away from his brother. Hux sighed and rested a hand on Techie's shoulder, misinterpreting his slight tremor.  
"Then I will consider it." Hux smiled and squeezed then gave Techie a brotherly hug. "Welcome back, my little Bren. I have missed you."

General Hux entered the command deck in a mixed mood. He watched Mitaka work, the young officer's face betraying nothing more than concentration on his tasks. Another officer called in technical support, Mitaka overheard something about a malfunctioning memory unit, and two grey-clad technicians arrived with toolkits. Mitaka kept his head down, not even glancing at the technicians. Hux smirked as the younger technician asked the officer if they'd tried turning it off and on again, then the older one showed the younger how to isolate and replace the bad unit and restore data from the most recent backup. Hux watched the tech team stroll past Mitaka's console on the way out, with no acknowledgment of the lieutenant's existence.

Mitaka felt his heart rate rise as he recognised the presence of Techie nearby. It wasn't that he looked up or heard Techie's voice, he simply knew Techie was near like a more pleasant version of the feeling he got deep in his gut when Hux had him under observation. Mitaka studied readouts of energy spikes in the ventral cannons very carefully and directed a full inspection of the armament power systems. He busied himself with the minutiae of the weapons systems until he felt Techie walk in front of him and heard the hiss of the doors. Mitaka looked up and quickly pocketed the small, copper wirework spacespider that had mysteriously appeared on his console. Fortunately, General Hux's attention was elsewhere.

Towards the end of his shift, after the general left to deal with some incident involving Kylo Ren, by sworn coincidence Phasma appeared to lend quiet, moral support. Mitaka's datapad beeped, he tapped it to find a personal message from General Brendol Hux. He opened the message furtively, in case it was from Techie, but need not have feared. No salutation, no signoff. Just a simple order.  
 _Report to my briefing room at the end of alpha shift._  
Phasma read over his shoulder and murmured close to his ear.  
"Hmm, it'll be about your penance. Techie told me he sold his idea to Hux over breakfast. Are you prepared to accept?"  
"Do I have a choice?" Mitaka glanced at Phasma's face. "I only worry that Techie will fail to keep his junior-general act up, then I will be promoted to captain of some outer rim frontier shithole before you can say _died a hero_."  
Phasma resisted the temptation to hug Mitaka right there. Instead she put her helmet back on, gave him a curt nod and a loud command regarding the security of the barrack-room comms systems and marched out.

Forty minutes later, Mitaka entered General Hux's briefing room. It was empty. He sat wondering if he should stand, then stood wondering if he should wait outside in the corridor. Out in the corridor, Mitaka wondered if he had mistaken the meaning of the message. Just as he was about to leave, bootsteps reached him from the other end of the passage. Mitaka stood to attention as General Hux approached, walked past him with the barest nod of acknowledgement and went into the briefing room, closing the door behind him. Mitaka sagged a little. Techie arrived three minutes later, hugged Mitaka for two seconds and vanished into the briefing room. Mitaka heard voices from inside, Hux clipped and precise, Techie emulating his brother. Eventually, the door opened and Mitaka walked in, halted, clicked his heel and saluted.

"Sit."  
Hux did not look up as Mitaka pulled out a chair and perched on it. Techie kept his eyes on his hands, twisting his tunic hem in his lap. Hux leaned over and tapped Techie on the arm.  
"Bren? Ensign Hux?"  
Techie looked at his brother and smiled. He settled his hands in his lap, fingers laced together. Hux nodded.  
"Ensign Hux has persuaded me, with reference to the relevant legal policy of the First Order, that you are to have impartial representation at this meeting. Ensign Hux suggests Captain Phasma as a suitable third-party witness. Do you agree to this?"  
Mitaka's eyes opened wide and his eyebrows shot up. He concentrated on keeping his voice steady, risking only a nod and a quiet, _yessir_.  
Hux used the comms panel set into the surface in front of him to call for Phasma. They sat in silence until she arrived, a little out of breath, and took her place at the vacant quadrant of the table.General Hux smiled at his brother.  
"Ensign Bren Hux, please describe your complaint against Lieutenant Mitaka."

Techie frowned, avoiding Mitaka's gaze and flicking a glance at Phasma. Phasma nodded once.  
"Lieutenant Mitaka took from me the right of retribution against someone who wronged me."  
General Hux nodded.  
"Lieutenant Mitaka, do you dispute this claim?"  
"No," Mitaka shook his head. "I killed her so that–"  
"Your reason is not relevant."  
Phasma banged the table once with her knuckles.  
"Let the lieutenant speak, please, General."  
Hux glared at Phasma.  
"Very well. Go ahead, Lieutenant."  
Under the table, Mitaka felt Phasma's foot pressing down hard on his own. Mitaka shrugged and the pressure eased. He raised his head and looked at General Hux.   
"You're right, sir, it doesn't matter."

General Hux addressed his brother again. Techie sat up straight and held his head high. Mitaka, listening to General Hux and Ensign Hux speak in precise tones was struck by how alike they were now compared to... how few days had it been since he pitied the weakling in the medbay!  
"Ensign Hux, state the punishment you have chosen."  
"General, the lieutenant has embarrassed my name by acting in my place. He deserves embarrassment in return. I ask that Mitaka becomes my personal assistant, at my beck and call at all hours when he is not actively on duty, for a period of..." Techie glanced at Phasma, who watched Mitaka, "...thirty standard days."  
Mitaka dropped his head again and fiddled with his fingers. At pressure on his foot, he sat on his hands.   
"General," Phasma cut in, "may I speak with the lieutenant in private for a moment?"

Hux nodded and Phasma stood, pulling Mitaka up by the elbow and steering him out of the room. In the corridor she put an arm around his shoulder and spoke quietly.  
"You're doing well, but you need to act outraged. When I step on your foot, I want you go full Ren on him. Throw a total Kylo. Can you do that?"  
"I can try." Mitaka rubbed a hand through his hair, making it stick up. Phasma smoothed it down again. Mitaka sighed. "Sithdamnit, he's such a Hux now. He scares me."  
"He's doing what he needs to do to get what he wants, Doph," Phasma smiled. "And he's been adapting his behaviour to survive for years. He probably can't remember ever not having to play-act just to be allowed to exist. When the general finds out he's going to be–"  
"–furious. I know."  
"He's going to be impressed," Phasma laughed, "and furious."  
One quick, reassuring hug and they returned to face General Hux.

Mitaka sat and scowled. Phasma took her time to settle and General Hux tapped the table in irritation at the delay. Techie sneaked a glance at Mitaka but returned quickly to his upright posture, eyes on his brother. General Hux spoke.  
"In your absence, Ensign Hux and I decided that thirty standard days is insufficient given the enormity of your insult to the Hux name. You will act as the ensign's personal servant for a period of forty-five days starting after your next shift."  
"Sir!" Mitaka responded to sharp pressure on his foot. "That is–" the foot pressure intensified to pain, "COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!" Mitaka pushed his chair back and stood pointing at Techie. "I AM A LIEUTENANT! I WILL NOT SKIVVY FOR AN ENSIGN WHO HAS BEEN IN THE FIRST ORDER FOR FIVE MINUTES!"

Hux stared, open mouthed, his surprise condensing down to a frown.  
"SIT DOWN!"  
"NO!" Mitaka almost screamed his refusal. "I WILL NOT PUT UP WITH THIS DEMEANING PUNISHMENT! SITHDAMNIT GENERAL WHAT IS THIS COURT? WHAT LEGAL BASIS IS THERE FOR THIS?"  
Mitaka played his part beautifully, helped by reddening cheeks, watering eyes and shaking shoulders that General Hux could not tell were from fear rather than frustrated fury. Mitaka clenched his fists and banged the table, making Techie jump. General Hux leapt to his feet, pink-faced and spitting anger.  
"LIEUTENANT, I ORDER YOU TO CONTROL YOURSELF!"  
Mitaka sank back into his chair, a bruise forming on his ankle. He buried his face in his hands, shaking his head, not daring to meet anyone's gaze. He heard Phasma stand up and felt her gauntlet on his shoulder.

"General," Phasma's calm voice soothed the room. "Should I remove the lieutenant until he has calmed down?"  
Mitaka did not look up to see the general's reaction but he felt a pull on his arm. He allowed Phasma to lead him out of the room. Outside, she grinned at him and he stifled a nervous giggle, wiping his face with his hands.  
"Phasma, that was terrifying. He's going to demote me or send me to one of the frontier outposts or push me out an airlock or something. Maybe all of those things."  
"No," Phasma stroked Mitaka's cheek. "He's going to believe the punishment fits the crime. When we go back in, imagine I've threatened to kill you if you speak."  
Mitaka nodded and took a deep breath.

General Hux smirked as Phasma pushed Mitaka back into his chair and sat down. Mitaka kept his head down and fidgeted with his fingers.   
"Lieutenant Mitaka, for that insubordinate outburst you will spend the next sixty standard days completing alpha shift at your station then making sure Ensign Hux has every whim obeyed. Do you accept your punishment?"  
Mitaka nodded without looking up.  
"Speak."  
"Yessir."  
"Ensign Hux, is this acceptable recompense for the damage to your reputation caused by the lieutenant's actions?"  
Techie glanced at Mitaka then met his brother's gaze.  
"Yes, general."  
Hux turned to Phasma.  
"Captain, are you satisfied that procedure has been followed?"  
"Yes, general."  
"Very well," Hux stood. "Your punishment begins tomorrow."  
"Why not now? "Techie piped up. "My room needs cleaned."  
Phasma suppressed a laugh and Hux smiled.  
"Why not indeed. Ensign, you may order the lieutenant to do whatever you like."  
Techie smirked at Mitaka.  
"Go clean my quarters."  
Mitaka fled.

Phasma also took her leave. Hux gave a soft laugh.  
"Bren, it is good to have you back. You seem to be settling well to your new life."  
"Yes," Techie smiled and took his brother's hand. "Thank you for not giving up on me. You... you make me proud of who I am."  
Hux grinned, stood and embraced his brother. Techie reflected that he had not lied. Hux kissed Techie's cheek and Techie knocked Hux's hat off, ruffling his hair, making the general squim and laugh.  
"Hey! I am still your general. Show some respect, please! Have dinner with me in my quarters, end of beta shift tomorrow. I promise there will be no synthsust. I want to celebrate having my brother by my side."

Techie agreed and made an excuse about having to study to keep up with all the new tech on board The Finalizer. They parted with a salute outside the briefing room, Hux to return to the command deck where Phasma waited with a report into her review of the reconditioning programme, and Techie to return to his quarters. He found Mitaka lounging on his sofa.

"Oh!" Mitaka jumped to his feet then relaxed. "I thought for a moment the general had come to check up on me. Your quarters are nice, um, tidy. You have hacked a service droid?"  
Techie laughed and removed his uniform tunic, boots and leggings. Mitaka muttered, _wait!_ and fetched pyjamas. Techie took them and frowned at Mitaka.  
"Doph, you don't have to do anything for me. I don't actually expect you to be my servant, I can order you around a bit when my brother is listening but..." Techie pulled on the pyjama pants. Muffled because of the fabric over his face as he shrugged into the top, "I wanted to be able to see you without sneaking around." Techie's head popped out of the neck hole and he shook his hair free. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Techie." Mitaka let concern pull at his mouth. "Or is it Bren Hux now? You were so like your brother in there it scared me a little."  
Techie pulled a face.  
"My brother wants me to be Bren, you prefer Techie. I can be both just not at the same time."  
Mitaka tucked a stray strand of Techie's hair behind his ear.  
"Yes, but who do you want to be? Who are you really?"  
"Um," Techie fiddled with his cuffs, "I don't know."

Mitaka took Techie's hands to stop him fraying the fabric. Techie let go and put his arms around Mitaka's shoulders. Mitaka returned Techie's embrace, slipping both arms around the slightly taller man's waist and leaning his cheek on Techie's shoulder. Techie kissed Mitaka's face and closed his eyes.  
"Doph, I don't know who or what I am but I'd sure like your help in working that out."  
Mitaka smiled, raised his head and kissed Techie gently on his lips.  
"Anything I can do to help, ask. You are my friend, we can start with that and figure the rest out later."


	6. Restraint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitaka, Techie and Phasma all admit a few things. Not all deliberate.  
> Acting on Ren's suspicions, Hux starts spying on his brother.   
> That's never a good sign.

Mitaka and Techie fell into a domestic routine that made Phasma joke privately with Mitaka about post-dating a betrothal application for them. Mitaka brushed off Phasma's comments with one of his own about the possibility of her requesting shared quarters and coming clean about their relationship. Phasma batted at Mitaka's head for that and laughed.  
"I have a reputation for aloof command to maintain. If the stormtroopers find out I'm attached to the second skinniest officer on the command deck I'll never live it down."  
Mitaka huffed, but felt a warm thrill at Phasma's admission of attachment to him.  
"I did not reach this level of command by feats of physical prowess, I admit, but _skinny?_ Me?" He patted his belly. Phasma used a request for evidence of Mitaka's physical condition to talk him out of his clothes.

Later, Mitaka lay with his head on Phasma's shoulder and his arm draped across her ribs, the swell of her breast touching his forearm with warmth. She stretched and yawned. Mitaka looked up and smiled, kissed her neck and stroked his thumb over her nipples, watching the darker skin pucker. Phasma laughed.  
"We don't have time. Stop before we make each other late."  
"Time for what?" Mitaka cupped Phasma's breast in his hand and kissed the erect nipple before shuffling down the bed, trailing kisses down Phasma's stomach. "I will stop if you want, but this doesn't have to take long."  
Phasma started her shift with a smile.

Techie laughed at Mitaka's red face when the lieutenant entered Techie's quarters.  
"Phasma let you stay all night?"  
"She said this morning that she is _attached_ to me."  
Mitaka grinned. Techie hugged him close and gave a soft snort when Mitaka tried to squirm away.  
"You didn't stay to use her shower, did you?"  
"No, she was in a hurry to get on duty. Can I use yours?"  
"Sure, hah, ask it for setting three. I programmed it last night."  
Mitaka did as Techie suggested. He shook out his tunic and pants, dumped his other garments into Techie's laundry chute, stood naked in the shower unit and asked for programme three. Mitaka yelped in surprise, laughed then groaned and swore as the programme directed water jets in a pulsing pattern over his skin. He twisted and raised up a little to compensate for the inch in height he lacked compared with Techie and let Techie's preprogrammed shower cycle take care of him. 

Techie was waiting for him when he exited the hygiene unit wrapped in a towel.  
"You like programme three?"  
"Uh, it was surprisingly invigorating."  
"Felt like you needed that."  
"You should programme Phasma's. Bet she'd... on second thoughts no. I'd rather she relied on me."  
Techie giggled. Mitaka frowned.  
"Is it... okay?"  
"What?" Techie offered Mitaka caf from the tray the hacked service droid carried. "Is what okay?"

Mitaka took the caf and Techie's hand, leading him to the sofa and perching on it.   
"It has been over forty days, I have more or less moved in here with you except for the times Phasma lets me stay with her. Are you okay with that?"  
"I like having you here." Techie looked concerned. "Do you want to spend more time in your own quarters? You can if you want, I won't make you stay with me if you want to be somewhere else. My bad dreams have almost stopped."  
"That's not what I meant," Mitaka squeezed Techie's hand. "I meant, are you okay with me disappearing to have s... to be with Phasma? You... don't mind?"  
Techie shook his head.  
"Why would I mind? You love Phasma, she looks out for you. She loves you too even if she never says so." Techie stroked Mitaka's knee. "Why would I mind? I like Phasma. And you like fucking each other so..."  
Mitaka looked uncomfortable. Techie frowned.  
"Is something wrong? Did I do something? SITHFUCKDAMMIT does my brother know?"  
Mitaka gave a brittle laugh at Techie's outburst.  
"No, No I promise we have been very discreet. The general is, um, unaware of our relationship. No, I meant, oh it's silly. Never mind."

Mitaka got up to dress. Techie followed Mitaka with his eyes until Mitaka disappeared into the bedroom. Their bedroom. Techie's eyebrows raised and he made a quiet _o-o-oh._ He got up and went into the bedroom, where Mitaka stood in clean underclothes with his hands in his hair.  
"Doph?"  
"What?"  
"Am I supposed to be jealous?"  
Mitaka turned to face Techie. Techie stared at the floor between them.  
"Of you and Phasma and the sex thing? I'm not. Jealous. I want you to be happy, Doph, I love you. I think. Kinda hard to tell because I've always been told loving someone means you want to fuck and I don't. Fuck. I don't fuck."

Mitaka took two steps forward. One hand found Techie's shoulder and the other cupped Techie's jaw, holding him still for a soft kiss.   
"This is new to me," Mitaka admitted. "I've never felt like this about someone I wasn't fucking, but you're... you're... I want to be with you. Not like I am with Phasma, it's different. I feel all the same things but... there's no urgency. It's like the warmth is there without the heat. Does any of what I'm saying make sense? I'd offer sex if you wanted it but you don't and that's fine."  
Techie kissed Mitaka in reply, his hands cradling Mitakas head.  
"I want to be with you, Doph. You can go to Phasma and I won't ever mind, but promise you will come home to me."  
Mitaka clung to Techie and buried his face in Techie's shoulder. His voice, muffled by practical layers of grey tech-corps uniform, shook only slightly.  
"I love you too, Techie. We both have to be on duty in ten." Mitaka raised his head and smiled. "Will your brother mind terribly? I think he hates me right now."  
Techie kissed Mitaka again.  
"He does not need to know."

\-------------------

Hux prided himself on knowing everything of importance that happened on _The Finalizer._ He watched Mitaka take over from his delta shift counterpart, noting with satisfaction that the lieutenant looked tired and concluding that Bren must be working him mercilessly. Hux decided to congratulate Bren next time they met for dinner but warn him that he needed his lieutenant to be alert for duty. The command deck was quiet, they had spent the past few days settling skirmishes with ineffective, corrupt planetary governments who clung desperately to whatever power they could grasp before giving in to the First Order. All that would change, Hux sneered at the thought, once his Starkiller was operational. With a twitch of a smile and a few taps of his datapad, Hux sent Bren a message summoning him to dinner after beta shift. 

At the end of alpha shift, Mitaka handed over to one of the bright young chief petty officers, saluted Hux and left the command deck. Mitaka passed a dark-cowled figure on his way out, and tried to hurry past without being noticed. The figure turned its masked face towards Mitaka and paused for just a second before resuming its march towards Hux. Behind him, Mitaka heard The general's voice raised for show.  
"Master Ren, this interruption had better be for something vital."

Mitaka did not hang around to find out what Ren was doing on the command deck. He marched to Techie's quarters via the mess hall to collect a tray of synthsust and caf. To any casual observer, it looked as if Mitaka was collecting food and delivering it to Ensign Hux. Mitaka let himself into Techie's quarters and laughed in surprise.   
"Phasma?"  
Phasma looked up, armour off and piled on the sofa, Techie in a firm but controlled headlock.   
"Doph! Oh you brought caf."  
Phasma released Techie, who slid slowly to the floor and rubbed his neck. Phasma slurped the warm, bitter liquid and closed her eyes. Mitaka helped Techie up.  
"What's going on?"  
Techie, warm and still out of breath, draped an arm around Mitaka.  
"I have to have. Basic combat training. Brendol told Phasma. Take care of it. Personally. So Phasma's teaching me. Hand to hand combat. But I keep losing."  
Phasma snorted. "I have no idea how you stayed alive so long."  
Techie pulled a face. "I am _really_ good at disappearing into the background."

It was Phasma's suggestion that they relocate to a training room and Mitaka join in. It would be easier, she said, to demonstrate techniques and they could practise on each other. Techie agreed, there was enough time before the end of beta shift, so Mitaka fetched training clothes for himself and Techie. They changed, Mitaka hanging their uniforms neatly and examining their boots to check for scuffs that he would polish out later. Phasma watched Mitaka and whispered to him, _"You like looking after Techie, don't you?"_   
Mitaka murmured back, _"I love him. Do we need to talk about it?"_  
Phasma nodded. _"Later."_

After Ren's visit to the command deck, during which he rudely insisted on the general's immediate attendance at a private meeting, Hux watched security feed from around The Finalizer with a new eye. He thought of Ren's words and saw what he feared to see.

_"Your lieutenant has duped you, Hux. I sensed duplicity from him. What is he to your rodent of a brother?"_

Mitaka entering Bren's quarters carrying a tray. Good.  
Mitaka leaving Bren's quarters, looking up and down the passageway and darting out, only to reappear on another camera feed, letting himself into Phasma's quarters.  
Mitaka leaving Phasma's quarters five hours later, a chrome clad arm pulling him back into the doorway and blonde hair obscuring his view of what looked like a goodbye kiss. The lieutenant certainly looked smug about it as Hux spied on his path back to Bren's quarters. Was this good? Hux was undecided. He did not like the idea of Phasma and Mitaka together, he could not pin down why, but distaste squirmed at the back of his throat. At least it meant that Mitaka was not likely to worm his way back into Bren's affections.

Bren. Hux smiled and looked for Bren's tracker signal. He was in the gym on the officers' deck. Hux approved, Bren was probably training with Phasma. Perhaps, the general mused, if he transferred Mitaka somewhere else Phasma would see the benefit of pairing up with Bren. He allowed himself a moment of self-indulgent speculation about the possibility of them founding a new First Order dynasty. Hux tapped his datapad to show the security feed from the gym, watched with barely concealed delight as Bren, under Phasma's direction, ducked a weak punch from Mitaka and swept the lieutenant's feet from under him, making him crash to the mats, then pinned him down with his face to the floor and his arms twisted up his back.

Hux felt his face warm and a scowl form as he watched Bren help Mitaka up, rub his arms and shoulders, hug him and kiss his cheek while Phasma smiled in the background then walked forwards to demonstrate the next technique. He sent a message, tapping calm words angrily to Kylo Ren.  
 _It appears you may be correct. Come to my quarters after Beta shift._  
The reply came a few minutes later.  
 _I do not wish to involve myself in your petty family drama._  
Hux sighed. He would have to persuade Ren in person. He activated a search for Ren's tracker the left the command deck.

Ren was in what passed for a good mood. Hux wondered if his own embarrassment was the root of it.   
"General, why are you here?"  
"Ren, you know why I am here. Stop playing games with me."  
Ren sniggered.   
"You like playing games."  
Hux sighed.  
"You know what I mean. My brother, my captain and my lieutenant have manipulated me with lies and diversions. I want your help in persuading my brother to confess."  
"You want my help?" Ren looked at Hux and shook his head. "Your brother's lack of respect hurts you, doesn't it? How much worse will it be if I have to rip information from his conniving little head? No," Ren stood facing Hux. "Better to throw him out of an airlock or... hah."  
"What? Or WHAT!" Hux shook with anger and the effort of not jumping to Bren's defence.  
"Or find him a position where such skills are valued. You are angry that your brother manipulated _you_ , not that he is as dishonest and selfish as every other Hux in the galaxy. You could be proud of him for this achievement, if you looked at it objectively."

Hux clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails dug into his palms.  
"Will you help me or not. All I require is your presence. Lurk. You're good at lurking."  
"Hmm," Ren made a show of considering it. Hux huffed.  
"I will have real food. Not synsthsust. I invited Bren to dinner."  
Ren snorted and walked over to Hux.  
"A fight over family dinner. How... traditional." Ren loomed over Hux, stroked Hux's cheek with one gloved finger, then leaned in and kissed him. "I would not miss this for anything."  
Hux shoved Ren off and glared at him.  
"You ass."  
"You like my ass. Should I bring wine? Flowers for the host?"  
"Shut up."  
"Come shut me up."

Hux launched himself at Ren with enough momentum to walk the taller man backwards into the wall. Ren laughed until the impact knocked air from his lungs. He took a breath in and swiped Hux's cap from his head, cradling Hux's jaw with the other hand and kissing him, feeling Hux's hands work at his clothing. Hux pushed both hands into the back of Ren's leggings, stroking the bare skin of his ass and leaned forward to feel Ren's hardness against his hip. Ren cursed when Hux abruptly broke contact and stepped back.  
"Follow my lead later and I might finish what I just started. After beta shift. Sharp."  
Ren rolled his eyes as Hux smoothed down his tunic, turned on his heel and walked out, then laughed, holding out Hux's hat as the general came back to snatch it from his fingers.

In the gym, Phasma allowed Techie and Mitaka a rest of ten minutes. Techie lay flat out on the mats, hair plastered to his forehead, chest rising and falling. Mitaka sat on a bench with Phasma.  
"Do you think Techie has had enough?" Mitaka laughed. "I think I should put him into the recovery position."  
"One more set," Phasma replied. "Then I will let you carry him home to recover stronger than before."  
Techie's voice wheezed up at them from the floor.  
"Darthbollocks, I'm done. Everything hurts."  
"Aww you poor thing," Phasma taunted. "Want me to kiss it all better?"  
Techie laughed and pushed himself onto his knees.   
"Start with my ass."

Phasma knocked Techie to the floor and pinned him down like she had demonstrated earlier on Mitaka. Mitaka laughed at Phasma's mischievous grin. Phasma held Techie's hands in one of hers, pushed up between his shoulder blades and with her other hand she hooked a finger under his waistband and pulled his exercise pants partway down.  
"Kiss your ass? You'd like that?"  
"STOP!"  
Mitaka landed on the mat beside Techie, face down level with his.  
"Phasma, stop. Get off. Please."  
Phasma rolled off. Mitaka pulled Techie up to sit and held him tight. Techie's breaths came shallow and fast, his eyes were tight shut and he trembled.   
"It's okay, Techie? You're with us. You're safe."

Techie whimpered but his breathing slowed and his shoulders slumped a little as Mitaka murmured soft words to him. Phasma crouched beside them.  
"What happened, Techie?" She knew of course, she'd seen it in stormtroopers returned from battle after battle after battle. "It's okay, don't answer if you don't want to."  
Phasma leaned in and wrapped long arms around both Techie and Mitaka. After a few minutes, Techie took a deep breath.  
"I'm okay."  
"On your feet, then."  
Phasma helped Mitaka pull Techie upright. He adjusted his clothes and pushed his hair back from his face. Phasma reached out a hand but withdrew it before she touched Techie.  
"Sorry. I didn't know you were... I'm sorry."  
"It's okay. I'm okay. You can... um... not if I'm restrained like that. You can touch me."  
Techie held out one arm and Phasma stepped into a hug, two arms around her waist, her arms around two sets of shoulders. The three of them stood silent in the middle of the mats for a minute before Techie wrinkled his nose.  
"We all need to use the hygiene units."

Hux frowned at the security camera display from the gym. He had watched his brother hold on to Phasma and Mitaka, kiss each of them once, pick up his things and make for the door. By the time he switched to the corridor camera, Mitaka was carrying Bren's gear in his left hand and Bren's hand in his right. Phasma walked a little ahead, and at her signal Bren and Mitaka separated. Hux saw a pair of stormtroopers on patrol salute Phasma and move on. He closed the security feed. He had seen enough. 

Mitaka accompanied Techie back to his quarters and found him clean clothing while Techie showered. It was almost the end of Beta shift and Techie knew better than to irritate his brother with poor punctuality.   
"Will you be here when I get back?" Techie asked, groaning as he pulled a clean tunic over his head. "Sithdamnit I'm going to hurt worse tomorrow. Your girlfriend is brutal."  
"I agree," Mitaka laughed. "I don't know, I'm going to see Phasma while you are with your brother. We have some things to talk about."  
"Some things?" Techie's face fell. "Not the _we need to talk_ talk? You breaking up?"  
"Don't think so. I told her I love you and she didn't punch my face so I think we're good."  
Techie stared, a confused frown on his face.  
"Why would she punch you for telling her you love her?"  
"No," Mitaka giggled, "I told her I love you, Techie."

Techie laughed. He hugged and kissed Mitaka, promised not to say anything careless over family dinner and slipped out. Mitaka used the shower, dressed, tidied up and went to have his talk with Phasma.

\---------

Hux had the service droids set the table for dinner. Three places. He smiled with something that was not pleasure. Bren arrived exactly on time and hugged his brother. Hux waved at the table.  
"Sit, any seat will do. Dinner will be here soon. Pour the wine if you want, it's the local stuff from our last conquest. Not too bad."  
Bren did as Hux asked.  
"Another guest coming, Brendol?"  
Before Hux answered, the door opened and Ren walked in, sat down and removed his mask with a click and a hiss. Bren stared, fear creeping around his edges, remembering the first time he had encountered Kylo Ren. Ren frowned.  
"Oh relax, I'm only here for the food."  
He pushed a glass towards Bren and Bren filled it.   
"And," Ren leaned forward, "as backup in case you decide to lie to your brother. I can tell."  
A droid came in with their first course, something spicy with pale meat and green leaves. Hux served and sat. They ate in silence. As Bren's cutlery touched his empty plate, Hux leaned back and stared at his over-blue eyes.  
"So, brother. Tell me about Mitaka and Phasma."


	7. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux Finds Out.  
> Everyone gets interrogated, but Ren is wary of peering too deeply into Techie's mind.  
> Hux decides to punish Mitaka, forcing Techie to take drastic action which earns him grudging respect from Ren.

Bren stared at his brother, salad threatening to burn its way back up his gullet.  
"What do you mean?"  
Hux stood to clear their used plates and place bowls of some kind of chunky, savoury stew on the table.  
"You know what I mean." He sat and waved a spoon at Bren. "Tell me when you first decided to deceive me."  
Hux chewed a mouthful of his meal and swallowed. Ren shovelled food into his face like he had not eaten in days. Bren poked at his stew as if he expected it to crawl back out of the bowl.  
"Deceive you?" Bren straightened his back and looked blank at Hux. "In what way?"  
Hux chewed and swallowed again. Opposite, Ren shook his hair and laughed.  
"General, can family feuding wait until _after_ dinner?"

Bren picked at his food, eating what he could manage only for show, his fierce appetite replaced by gnawing fear. Ren leaned over and touched his bowl.  
"You going to finish that? No?"  
Bren shook his head and sat back. Hux tutted and Ren left the table with his extra portion, curling around it on the sofa.  
"He lacks manners." Hux fixed Bren with a steady, unsmiling stare. "One last chance to tell me yourself. What is going on between you, Phasma and Mitaka?"  
Bren sighed and sat back.  
"Mitaka and I have become friends. Nothing more. Phas–"  
From the sofa, Ren's bored voice cut in.  
"Lies."

Hux stood and activated his private comms panel.  
"One more chance?" Techie remained silent. "No? Very well." Hux leaned closer to the panel. "Security, please escort Lieutenant Mitaka and Captain Phasma to the general's quarters. Respond immediately."  
Techie's mouth dried and his gut twisted when he heard a crackled _yessir._

\----------

Mitaka knocked then let himself into Phasma's quarters. Phasma's armour always made him stare, it hung on its stand like a facsimile of its wearer but silent and unmoving. Somehow Phasma transformed it into something fluid, majestic and terrifying. 

The helmet was missing. Phasma laughed and held it up.  
"Hey, my eyes are up here."  
She walked over and set it in place, removing her fabric gloves afterwards. Mitaka admired both figures and took a deep breath.  
"So. We should talk."  
"Yes."

Phasma sat on the sofa and patted the seat beside her. Mitaka accepted the invitation and sat beside Phasma.  
"I did not expect this," Mitaka said. "I don't want to choose between you."  
Phasma smiled and shook her head.  
"That's not what I want either. I... I spent some time with Techie, the general encouraged it." She waggled her eyebrows. "I'm sure you can imagine why."  
Mitaka covered his mouth to hide his laugh.  
"He wants you for a sister-in-law?"  
Phasma shrugged.  
"But Techie's not interested. I pushed him a bit, once I found out he wasn't interested in fucking you-OOH!" Phasma leered. "Are you... do you want to fuck him?"  
"No!" Mitaka shook his head. "If he offered I'd consider it but... no. He doesn't and I will never suggest it." Mitaka frowned. "Wait a minute, did _you_ offer? Did you invite him back to, um, polish your armour?"  
Phasma grinned.  
"He went several shades of nothankyou and avoided me for a whole day."

Mitaka laughed.  
"Poor Techie! So what do we need to talk about?" He frowned, looking side ways at Phasma. "Are you ha... do you accept that my friendship with Techie won't affect our relationship?"  
"Of course it does," Phasma countered. "Of course Techie changes things for us."  
"How?" Mitaka looked genuinely confused. "I'm yours, Techie knows that. He doesn't mind, he does not expect any more from me than he already has."  
"But," Phasma took Mitaka's hand, "he has a lot. Your respect and affection, your love. Do you see him as a substitute when I don't have time for more than quick relief then throw you out?"  
"What? No!" Mitaka was not fast enough in his reply. Phasma smirked.  
"Oh you do. You want Techie and me to be separate, we do different things for you."

This made Mitaka shift in his seat and look away, although he did not withdraw his hand from Phasma's grip. Phasma reached over and touched Mitaka's jaw. He turned to face Phasma again, his downcast face making her smile.  
"Doph, it's fine. I like having Techie around but..." she sighed. "You don't have to keep us as separate parts of your life. Talk to him. Find out what he wants."  
"We do talk."  
"Mmhmm but only about you. This is not only about what you want."  
Mitaka frownd at that.  
"Are you saying I'm selfish?"  
"A bit, yes," Phasma pursed her lips and shrugged. "I think you like being with me and you like being with Techie but the thought of sharing either of us with the other turns you cold."

This made Mitaka snatch his hand away and sit up straight ready to deny the accusation, but his words were cut off by the door opening and two stormtroopers walking in, two more standing just outside in the passageway.  
"Captain, Lieutenant, you are to be escorted to the General's quarters. General Hux himself ordered us to..." The trooper sagged a little. "My apologies for the intrusion. We will wait outside while you... make yourself... whatever."  
Phasma stood. Mitaka stood beside her.  
"Thank you, DN2265. Please relay to General Hux that we decline the escort and are on our way. Dismissed."  
Once the stormtroopers had closed the door, Phasma and Mitaka looked at each other, sighed and kissed once. Mitaka watched Phasma fix her armour.  
"I wonder what Techie said to make Hux send a security squad for us. How much do you think Hux knows?"  
Phasma stood tall and imposing.  
"Everything."

The four stormtroopers loitered in the corridor and Phasma, after an exchange of sharp words and apologies, agreed to allow them to walk behind her and Mitaka, stepping into role only when they reached the general's rooms. Phasma and Mitaka walked in when the door opened to find Techie sitting in a chair, Hux standing opposite him and Ren lounging on the sofa. 

"Captain, Lieutenant, good of you to join us." Hux did not look pleased. "Bren, tell me again what your relationship is with Mitaka and Phasma."  
Techie scowled at the table in front of him.  
"I said we have become friends, nothing more."  
"Still lying," Ren stood, a smile quirking the corners of his mouth. "I can find out for you, General. Waiting for honesty from this little rat is a waste of time."

Hux gave a single nod. Ren walked up to Techie, reached out his arm and closed his eyes. Techie jerked his head backwards, a look of pain on his face. Abruptly, Mitaka leapt forwards, barged Ren away from Techie and pulled his arm back ready to punch. Ren changed his focus in a fraction of a second, holding Mitaka's fist with the Force inches from his face and stepping out of the target area. He let go and Mitaka swung uselessly at thin air, stumbling off balance while Ren laughed and Hux roared at the security detail to take Mitaka to an interrogation room.

"No!"  
Techie leapt up and screamed at Hux. Phasma strode forward but only made it one step before Ren froze her limbs and her voice. Two stormtroopers grabbed Mitaka by the arms and propelled him out of the room while Phasma looked on helpless and Techie, physically restrained by Hux, yelled with no effect. Ren sneered.  
"I will release you when I feel your capitulation, captain. You have seen what I am capable of. Don't push me."  
Phasma forced herself to relax and Ren let her go so suddenly that she sank to her knees. Ren faced Hux.  
"Do you want me to interrogate the rat?"  
Hux glared at Techie's face, red and blotchy. He nodded.  
"Go easy on him."  
Ren snorted.  
"Why? He has deceived you. How long before he instigated a mutiny? I see it in him, general. As you have reminded me often, under all his weaknesses he is a Hux."  
Ren crooked a finger and Techie walked stiffly towards him then followed when Ren marched out. 

Hux pointed at a seat.  
"Sit."  
Phasma sat and removed her helmet. Hux watched her face for a few seconds.  
"Talk. What have you and my brother cooked up with my lieutenant? Is it mutiny? Do you see yourselves in command of _The Finalizer_ whilst I float out of an airlock with air rushing from every orifice and my blood beginning to boil in my veins? And if so, what did you plan to do with Kylo Ren?" Hux changed his tactic in response to Phasma's silence.  
"Fine. It barely matters now. Ren will strip the information from my brother. Mitaka is overdue a promotion, I can make him captain of one of the old Victory class star destroyers and send him to protect our outposts with a crew of volunteers and enlisted officers barely better than pirates. Leader Snoke can decide your fate if your loyalty has changed."

"It's not your brother's fault. Call him back, don't let Ren into his head."  
Hux shook his head.  
"I must know the truth from him. And from you."  
Phasma sighed.  
"It's nothing. There's no mutiny, no plot against you."  
"But you have deceived me. Why?"  
"Mitaka and I are..." Phasma tried out several words in her head before choosing one. "Close. Mitaka and your brother became friends and the more you tried to separate them the more determined they were to remain together. That is the root of our deception."

Hux frowned and dug his fingernails into his palms.  
"Are you telling me this is all because my brother wants to fuck Mitaka?"  
Phasma barked out a laugh and covered her mouth.  
"Oh, you don't know your brother as well as you think, general! Have you asked him why he manipulated you?"  
"Of course!" Hux shouted his response. "Of course I have asked him and he tells me lies!"  
Phasma sighed and sat back, shaking her head slowly.  
"Have you actually listened to him? Have you given him the chance to be _Techie_ instead of Bren Hux, proud bearer of the family name?"  
Hux leaned forward to stare into Phasma's eyes, banging the table for emphasis.  
"He is Bren Hux, my brother. There are _expectations_ if he is to advance within the First Order."

Phasma opened her mouth to argue but closed it when the door opened to admit Kylo Ren. He sat beside Hux and picked up a cup, filling it with caf from the insulated jug on the table.  
"I left him asleep in his quarters with a guard at the door to keep him inside. I found..." Ren shuddered at the thought of some of the images he had uncovered from Techie's past life. Ma-Ma had been inventive and inconsistent in all but her cruelty. "...I found that he has played you without malice, his motivations were selfish." Ren smirked. "That is to be expected since he is a Hux. Your feelings for your brother blinded you to his behaviour."

Ren investigated the bottle of wine from some planet they had conquered in passing and put it down with a grimace, choosing a refill of caf instead. He retired to Hux's sofa once more. Hux addressed Phasma with a sneer.  
"Your true rank shields you from the kind of punishment I intend for Mitaka. But if Leader Snoke detects any hint of disloyalty to the First Order, he will not hesitate to order me to deal with you. Dismissed. Remain in your quarters with your guard at the door. I have instructed them to treat you with respect but to follow my orders."

Phasma left. Hux scowled at Ren.  
"You are loving this, aren't you?"  
Ren grinned in reply.  
"Go do something useful while I arrange Mitaka's promotion."  
Ren stood, dumped his cup on the table, patted Hux on the head and left.

Mitaka lay back in the interrogation chair, restrained at head, wrists and ankles, waiting for the worst to happen. He wondered whether it would be Ren, or Hux himself who would torture him for information until he gave in and fabricated whatever they wanted to hear. He wondered whether his rank was high enough to help him survive, or so high that his death would serve as an example to lower ranks. He made himself breathe evenly, concentrated on the feeling of his muscles, tensing and relaxing from his neck down to his feet. He wondered what stories to tell, what would satisfy the general, and whether it mattered because Ren–

The door opened, only a sound since Mitaka could not turn to look, and footsteps approached. A soft laugh.  
"Did you think you could touch me, lieutnant? You are pathetic."  
Mitaka closed his eyes and swallowed. Perhaps if he pretended he was alone, this would not happen.  
"I... um... I apologise for my behaviour. I should not have lost control."  
"Perhaps I should have choked you again."  
Ren's hand stretched out and Mitaka whimpered at the first hint of tighness around his neck. But Ren's hand slid up from Mitaka's neck to his head. Mitaka, unable to move away, felt a tingle then a pain in his temple. For just a second, his world went white hot. Abrubtly, the presence was gone. Mitaka reeled, almost unable to comprehend what Ren said on his way out.  
_As I thought, there is nothing of use in there._

Techie sat on his floor and stared at the closed door. It would not open for him any more. He could fix that no problem, but there was no point. The two stormtroopers had made it clear they would be waiting just beyond. He thought fast, that at least was a familiar activity. There was a comms panel in his quarters. Techie knew that the communications system operated on several levels. Room to room communication was the least secure but in officers' quarters like his, there was an option to communicate beyond the accommodation decks. He had seen Hux use it in the quarters that were so similar to his own.

Techie stood and pulled his toolkit out from under his desk and activated the comms unit. He first put in calls to Phasma and to Mitaka's quarters, then removed the top panel and examined the electronics underneath while he waited for replies. Phasma responded after a few minutes.  
"Techie? Doph is to be promoted."  
"Sithfuckingdamnit!"  
"Stay down."  
"Okay."

Techie deactivated the comms unit and stared into its circuitry. He was familiar with the connections, having learned to mend carelessly treated hardware in the barrack rooms, but his was a little different. He began with the connections he was sure of, disconnecting, testing, reconnecting, humming while he worked. Eventually he was confident that he had found what he needed, feeds to the main processor unit and to the ship's database. He sat back, smiled, replaced the panel and powered up his new, improved comms unit. 

His brother, Techie decided, was not one for difficult to remember passwords. In a crisis when he needed remote access away from his fingerprint analyser or retinal scanner, Brendol Hux would probably fall back on something he would never forget. Techie tried the name of their childhood pet, their mother's name, their home planet. Nothing. He felt like the computer was sneering at him when it demanded once more: _security code_

In frustration, Techie stared at the screen and balled his fists. He took a deep breath and let it out in a hiss.  
"Let me in, motherfucker, I'm Brendol Hux the sithdamn third."  
He laughed. Surely it was a waste of another attempt before his terminal was remotely deactivated by the central security system. He typed slowly with one finger, poking at the characters on the touchscreen, _BrendolHux3_  
The panel lit up with options and Techie laughed in disbelief.

He searched first for recent communications and found Mitaka's new assignment. About to cancel it, Techie paused. What if Hux was also using his comms panel? He could be watching, wondering why messages were appearing in his name, working out what Techie was doing. Instead, he looked around the security options and found one: _Locate_

Techie clicked it. He found Phasma, a green dot in her quarters. Mitaka, a blue dot down in the secure wing. Hux, a green dot beside Kylo Ren's red. Techie sniggered and cancelled the order to reassign Mitaka. Tempting though it was to watch the myriad of personnel moving around _The Finalizer_ , Techie knew he had to remain focused. Hux would see the cancellation of Mitaka's new duty as soon as he looked at his own comms panel, and possibly think up a worse fate for both of them. Techie tapped his teeth. 

The main secure database was harder to crack, but eventually it gave way and Techie was in. He replaced Hux's fingerprint with his own and deleted his retinal scan file, replacing it with his own _error!_ message. Finally, he changed every one of Hux's passwords to _1amTech!e_ and sat back to wait for whatever would happen next.

He had long enough to fall asleep in his chair before his door opened and Hux strode in, yelling.  
"You little shit! What did you do!"  
Techie, startled, jumped to his feet and swayed a little. He pushed both hands through his hair and sat down again.  
"What are you talking about, brother?"  
"You!" Hux's face twisted with rage. By now Kylo Ren had come to watch the show, his expression betraying nothing. Hux stabbed a finger at Techie.  
"You have DONE SOMETHING. There are LIMITS!"  
Techie smiled and leaned back.  
"Whatever it is, it's probably a glitch. Would you like me to look into it when my shift starts?"

Hux shook with anger. He whirled to face Ren.  
"Find out what he did and make him put it right. Use whatever means you deem necessary."  
Ren smirked.  
"No."  
"NO?" Hux almost screamed. Ren shook his head.  
"No. I will not look into your brother's mind again. Fix this yourself."  
"WHAT!?" Hux looked stricken, Ren reached out to Hux and held him by the shoulders. Hux's hands, clenched tight by his sides, relaxed and he sagged in Ren's grip. Techie watched in confusion as Ren held Hux close and murmured something to him. Hux looked up in surprise, temper defused for the moment. Ren laughed.  
"Think about it, general, the rat might have a purpose."

Hux sank onto Techie's sofa and Ren departed without even glancing at Techie. Hux, head in hands, fingers worrying at his hair, shook his head.  
"No. This can't be the end. Bren, if anyone finds out you locked me out of my own flagship, I'm finished. This is the end of me. Is that your revenge? Is it because I took so long to find you?"  
Techie raised his eyebrows.  
"No, it's because you want to take my friends away from me. Ma-Ma did that, there was a Twi'lek girl sold with me and Ma-Ma made me watch her die. You want me to see Mitaka die. Brendol, why are you punishing me? Did you rescue me only to make me suffer?"

"What," Hux swallowed, head still down. "What do I have to do to get my ship back."  
Techie shrugged. "Easy, keep Mitaka here as your lieutenant with me and Phasma. Give me your word _as a Hux to another Hux_ that you will not transfer him unless he requests it of his own free will."  
Hux looked up with a frown.  
"And that's it? I already ordered Mitaka's transfer and promotion. I can't cancel it."  
"I did that already." Techie said. "You should change your passwords to something less guessable."  
"Fine." General Hux looked up at Techie. "I give you my word as one Hux to another that Mitaka will not be transferred without his consent. Now GIVE ME MY SITHDAMN SHIP BACK!"  
Techie smiled, got up, sat beside Hux and hugged him.  
"Of course, brother."

\--------------

Techie accompanied Phasma to release Mitaka and help him back to Techie's quarters. He was unharmed physically, but unwilling to relinquish his hold of either Techie or Phasma. Once the door closed, Mitaka clung to Techie and Phasma wrapped them both in her long arms. Phasma spoke, calm and quiet.  
"Techie, what did you do?"  
"I promised my brother, Hux to Hux, that I would never tell."  
"Oh." Phasma snorted. "That bad, huh?"  
Techie grinned at her and kissed Mitaka's face.  
"I got myself a new job too. I'm to leave the Tech Corps after my training is up. I can be fitted with more human-like optical receivers that have better functionality than these and I will be trained in espionage and sabotage. Apparently it was Ren's suggestion."  
Phasma grinned and stroked Techie's back.  
"Congratulations! You'll be the secret, unsung hero of the First Order when you infiltrate the resistance."  
Mitaka raised his head and smiled at Techie.  
"Can you remain on _The Finalizer_ while you train? Will you need a... a... someone to keep you organised? Someone who knows secure commuication protocols? Oh! Will your new eyes also be blue?"  
Techie kissed Mitaka and then Phasma.  
"Any colour you like."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, until I get around to writing "Clan Techie is a First Order spy who reports directly to Mitaka and Phasma."


End file.
